Robert Longo became established for his precise photo-realistic drawings, under the influence of mass media playing a major role in his work. His portraits engrave a distinctive feature, which displays a three-dimensional effect, as if they could pop off the page and enter physical space at any time.

"I think I make art for brave eyes. I don't want to make art that will pat you on the back and tell you everything is going to be okay. I want to make something that's much more confronting. You don't look at it, it looks at you as much as you look at it." — Robert Longo

Contemplating the vastness of space, Robert Longo’s series "The outward and visible signs", to which Saturn belongs, continues his exploration of operatic themes. In this intense print, black and white image Saturn becomes a glowing ball of dust that seems to come out from nowhere toward the astonished viewer.