Untitled (Cohu)

A roiling, frothy wave swells across Robert Longo’s Untitled (Cohu). Rendered in meticulous detail, the wave crests and crashes towards the shore in exquisite charcoal greys. On the hunt for the perfect wave, Longo merges his own photographs as well as those he culls from surf magazines. Showcasing the artist’s photorealist draughtsmanship, Longo exploits the rich tonality of the charcoal, imbuing his seascape with the vivid chiaroscuro of the Old Masters whom he so admires. Created as part of a larger cycle of drawings that reflect upon the visual beauty and awe of natural phenomena, Untitled (Cohu) illustrates the artist’s alarm for the precarious state of the planet. As Longo himself has reflected, ‘As you get older you obviously think about what you’re going to leave behind. I’m not talking about how my work will be viewed in the future, but rather what kind of world, and what possibility for the future, we will leave behind’ (R. Longo, quoted in ‘Working Towards Affection: An Interview with Robert Longo’, Border Crossings, no. 115, September 2010, p. 48). Capturing an awe-inspiring force, Longo’s wave surges towards the viewer with impressive urgency. Dramatically cropping the oceanic expanse, Longo presents the viewer with an epic close up of salt spray and white sea foam, a thrilling sense of violence and power.