Daniel Longo

Born in Geelong, Australia, Longo's multidisciplinary practice interrogates images that engage with fragmented and disfigured bodies—the grotesque. Central to his research is the utilisation of digital pseudo-surgical techniques to investigate hum...

Born in Geelong, Australia, Longo's multidisciplinary practice interrogates images that engage with fragmented and disfigured bodies—the grotesque. Central to his research is the utilisation of digital pseudo-surgical techniques to investigate human desire, focusing on the phenomenological exploration and material manifestations of societal taboos. Positioned at the intersection of Gothic and Body Horror genres, Longo employs photography, video, sculpture, and sound to manipulate bodily materiality. The artist’s background in theatre photography significantly influences his practice. His knowledge of building photographic studio sets and chiaroscuro lighting techniques, adds a unique dimension to his work. With an objective to symbolically embody and contextualise intangible phenomena, he thereby aims to veil/unveil obscured facets of the human psyche. Adopting a sadist approach to methods, he antagonises corporeal boundaries to express taboo elements of personal experience through anatomical dismemberments. Longo has gained international recognition, with exhibitions in Australia, Europe, and the U.S.A. He draws inspiration from diverse sources, including early modern anatomical theatres, medical journals of body deformity, Victorian freak shows, the Beatnik generation, and fetish culture. Longo aims to challenge societal norms and delves into the complexities of human experience. Engaging with theoretical and philosophical discourses surrounding taboo, abjection, horror, and the grotesque, he seeks viewers to reconsider their perceptions and embrace hidden or taboo predispositions. With a proclivity for the unconventional, Longo aims to provoke audiences to question societal sensibilities.