Robert Longo Untitled (White Snow Trees of the Black Forest), 2019

Forests have been the subject of several series of work by Robert Longo over the past two decades. Wrapped in an eerie mist or dappled with sunlight, they are the site of a reflection on the relationship between the earthly and celestial spheres, and the ephemerality of life. In Untitled (White Snow Trees of the Black Forest) (2019), the white of the paper takes centre stage as the artist carefully carves snow-laden branches from subsequent layers of charcoal. The feeling is one of stillness and quiet, inviting the viewer to relish in the delicate equilibrium of the snow balancing on the trees, and in Longo’s deliberate application, where every stroke of black is carefully measured against the negative space of the snow. Drawing on the old masters’ use of chiaroscuro, Longo uses light and dark to achieve a dramatic emotional range in his charcoal drawings. The transposition of medium is crucial, as ‘a photograph is recorded in an instant [but] a drawing takes months to make’, altering both the artist and viewer’s relationship to the image.