For “Men in the Cities”, Robert Longo set up his camera on the rooftop of his apartment and threw various objects at his friends, to capture their raw, spontaneous reactions. These remarkable photos, taken between 1977 and 1983, show people sharply dressed in business attire reacting with sudden jerks and spasms. Surprisingly, these movements have an elegant and graceful quality. The protective reactions and exaggerated gestures have been turned into effortless and authentic choreographies, a ballet of falls and stumbles, leaps and trips.
The movements are fresh and vital, full of energy and life, alongside hints of agony. They document an essence of human motion, boiled down to pure expression. This work later became the inspiration for his iconic Men in the Cities series of large-scale, monochrome charcoal and graphite drawings. “Men In The Cities” was influenced by Longo's fascination with movement and the human form, as well as his observations of people’s behaviour in the city. Inspired by cinema, photography, and pop culture, the series also reflects the impact of popular culture and media on public consciousness, tapping into themes of isolation, power, and vulnerability.
“ It’s about that moment when you feel like you’re being pulled in different directions, a kind of metaphoric depiction of the forces acting upon us in modern life. „