Robert Longo
Pressure, 1983
Acrylic and Graphite on Paper
Signed and dated 'Robert Longo 83’ (lower right) in graphite
Frame included
This is a unique painting
The importance of this unique work cannot be overestimated in terms of Longo's oeuvre.  "Pressure " [on God], Robert Longo's unique acrylic and graphite work on paper, was created during the same period as his iconic work, simply labeled "Pressure", now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in N.Y. Whereas the latter depicts a young man, the present work, titled "Pressure on Heaven", then deliberately changed to "Pressure on God", is more ethereal in subject matter, though the lone youth's image is still present in the composition.
From Lexander magazine:
"In the excerpt from Neal Benezra’s article about 1980s art in the previous post, he writes, “Robert Longo’s Pressure might well be the most representative work of art of the 1980s.” I would go further and state that it is the definitive work of the 1980s—the penultimate visual anthem of the era—and most especially the period between 1979—1987, during which the musical genres of gothic rock and deathrock flourished and achieved their greatest artistic successes through the work of a variety of diverse bands including Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Sisters of Mercy, and most appropriately to the subject of this article, Christian Death...Pressure is the penultimate visual anthem of non-conformists everywhere, and it’s relevance, as with all great works of art, is timeless." (March, 2013)
MOMA's director writes of the work "Pressure" in the museum's permanent collection:
Glenn Lowry: During the 1980s Robert Longo created a series of artworks known as Combines, integrating drawings with reliefs made of wood, aluminum, or Plexiglas. In Pressure, the artist intended to communicate a sense of oppression with the weight of an imposing skyscraper exerting a force on the brooding figure below, Robert Longo.
In the present work, the artist inverts the concept, suggesting that man isn't the only one oppressed; heaven and god are as well.
Measurements:
Framed:
34.5 inches x 49 inches x 1.25
Artwork:
29.75 inches x 43.25 inches
Provenance: Christie's New York: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 [Lot 00218] First Open NYC