Frank

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Frank

Artist Robert Longo (American, born 1953)

Date1982-1983

DimensionsOverall: 67 1/2 x 38 3/4 in. (171.5 x 98.5 cm)

MediumLithograph

ClassificationPrints

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1983.88

Not on View

Label TextCharacteristic of Robert Longo’s Men in the Cities series, Frank captures a man in a dark suit, situated against a white background, who appears caught in the act of either falling or dancing. Inspired by the dynamic poses and gestural quality of a moving figure, Longo conducted studies by photographing the reactions of his friends, dressed in business attire, to objects being thrown at them. The resulting images froze the aggressive and exaggerated figural contortions in a series of individual moments, which were then used to create large-scale drawings, sculptures, and prints. A participant in these photo sessions, Longo’s friend, the artist Cindy Sherman (born 1954), recalled: “Robert shot us in free fall, looking like we were dead. A feeling of force and energy emanates from these photographs. Now I see their choreographic aspect. I see youthful optimism. Creating these poses became a sort of dance, and I think that’s why I remember having such a good time.” Becoming iconic of Longo’s work in the 1980s, these falling, flailing, and collapsing figures express an intimate moment of human vulnerability to the unpredictable.Exhibition HistoryPainters -Print Makers, Feb 20, - June 9, 1996 TMA Contemporary Prints: 8/17-10/30/83 & 1/14 - 2/26/84