The Brooklyn-born artist Robert Longo studied sculpture at the University of North Texas and the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, under Leonda Finke, and then at Buffalo State College, from which he graduated in 1975. But his greatest passion is drawing. “I always feel like I’m carving the image out rather than painting the image,” he once said. “I’m carving it out with erasers and tools like that.”
In the 1980s, after moving back to New York City, he set up a camera on the rooftop of his apartment building and hurled objects at his well-dressed friends, then shot their reactions. The resulting photographs inspired “Men in the Cities,” a series of large-scale charcoal and graphite drawings that cemented him as a pivotal voice in the art scene.
Longo has occupied the same top-floor studio in SoHo since 1984, and as the New York Times once put it, continues to embody “a certain kind of cocky, brash 1980s New York cool.” Over the decades, his work has been shown at museums worldwide, from the Milwaukee Art Museum to London’s Tate. Currently, 26 of his drawings, three films, three sculptures, and 33 studies are on view at Pace in Lower Manhattan.
Here, the artist shares his go-to spots around his hometown.
The Odeon and Omen Azen
These restaurants feel like home to me. I’ve been going to both spots since they first opened. (theodeonrestaurant.com; omen-azen.com)
Blue Ribbon Brasserie
I love that it’s open late. They have great food and a great atmosphere—a bit like the Odeon in the ’80s. (blueribbonbrasserie.com)
AMC Lincoln Square 13
I love going here with my sons to see insane action movies in IMAX. (amctheatres.com)
ANYTHING ORGANIZED BY TONY COX
Tony Cox is a pro skater turned artist and gallerist. His most recent project at Club Rhubhard—his small contemporary art space—was really exciting. I’m looking forward to his upcoming Brock Enright show. (instagram.com)
CRISTIN TIERNEY GALLERY
I’m a big fan of Dread Scott’s work, which is how I discovered this gallery. They have an interesting program. (cristintierney.com)
KARMA
They always exhibit new and interesting artists. (karmakarma.org)
MAGENTA PLAINS
An oddball gallery that shows important artists like Jon Kessler. (magentaplains.com)
New York Live Arts
A space run by my dear friend Bill T. Jones. They put on revolutionary work. (newyorklivearts.org)
Peter Freeman, Inc.
Peter Freeman reminds me of the galleries that were in New York City in the 1970s, when I first moved here. They have the most gorgeous wooden floors and high ceilings. (peterfreemaninc.com)
The Guggenheim Museum
I remember once seeing a kid skateboard down the entire museum during a Joseph Beuys show. It’s the most challenging museum in which to present art, so it’s always exciting to see artists succeed there. Daniel Buren, Jenny Holzer, and Matthew Barney have, and now, so has my friend Rashid Johnson. (guggenheim.org)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City’s Art Mecca. It’s an invaluable resource to the city, from the Greek and Roman collection and Arts of Africa galleries to works by John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, and Jackson Pollock. When they presented the “Pictures Generation, 1974–1984” exhibition in 2009, my “Men in the Cities” drawings were installed in the Great Hall. Cindy [Sherman] and I couldn’t believe we were seeing our work at the Met. It was totally surreal. (metmuseum.org)
The Museum of Modern Art
One of the first museums in New York I remember going to as an artist. My favorite piece there is James Rosenquist’s monumental F-111 installation, created between 1964 and 1965. Cindy’s retrospective there was also so memorable and important to me. (moma.org)
The New Museum
It’s very close to my studio, so I’ve watched it—and its founder Marcia Tucker’s dream—grow. After three years, it’s reopening this fall with a new 60,000-square-foot expansion.
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