01.10.2016 – 16.10.2016
Triumph Gallery, Moscow
curator
Victoria Dushkina
artists
Paolo Arao
Alexandra Baye
Jason Bartell
Alexander Barton
Edwin Bethea
Corey Bond
Sarah Brenneman
Julio Cesar Gonzalez
Kirsten Deirup
Garrick Imatani
William Latta
Victor Longo
Robert Longo
Qing Liu
Owen McAuley
Ivanny Pagan
Brian Rattiner
Bernice Rubin
Nathan Spondike
Colin Hunt
Kelsey Henderson
Kipton Hinsdale
Miles Shelton
James Sheppard
Eric Schnell
Brock Enright
Opening September 30th 2016, Triumph Gallery in Moscow will present Artists / Assistants. Robert Longo Studio’s (1983–2016) group exhibition on the one hand explores the artistic infrastructure that has existed for several decades in New York and on the other hand it is possible to observe the role of the artist’s assistant — a figure that has reappeared in the art discourse starting from the 1960s. Focusing on one case study as an example, Artists/Assistants bring together the work of twenty-five American artists, who are now working or have previously worked in Robert Longo’s studio over the last three decades. Moreover, the exhibition examines the tradition of artists and their assistants.
Besides, the major historical anchor of this project is Robert Longo’s personal story. In 1977, when a twenty-four year old Longo arrived in New York from Buffalo State College, he was in the very beginning of looking for his own artistic footing. Very soon after his arrival, Longo assisted artists such as Vito Acconci and Dennis Oppenheim while participating in his first exhibitions, including the seminal 1977 group exhibition Pictures at Artists Space. Among other works, Pictures showed Longo’s aluminum relief — The American Soldier (1977), that was the work, which became the basis for his critically acclaimed Men in the Cities series (1979–1983). Furthermore, there will be presented more than forty works on the display at Triumph Gallery. Various mediums, styles and subject matter will be used; from works on paper, paintings, photography to sculptures and sound installations.
The concept behind Artists / Assistants. Robert Longo Studio (1983–2016) came about while the curator has been involved into the process of preparing the exhibition Proof: Francisco Goya, Sergei Eisenstein, Robert Longo for Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow. Alongside Goya and Eisenstein’s works, the exhibition Proof will present more than thirty large-scale drawings made by Longo over the course of fifteen years.