One thought on “Leroy Neiman, 1921-2012

  1. I always loved his work a lot.
    And I always thought that he was one of, if not THE, best American “Expressionist” painter.

    And his paintings worked, because, for the most part, he’s most well known for his kinetic style, which was perfect for capturing athletes in action.
    All we all see in real life is a series of blurs that indicate movement. And I felt his style best captured what the fans actually see.
    We don’t see Michael Jordan in real life, as if he’s a “Stop Action” figure. What set him apart was how, how well, and how fast, he moved. It’s the same with most athletes, dancers, etc.
    Let photographs capture that split-second image, and let me keep that image forever.
    Give me Neiman’s paintings, for the images that I saw when I was watching the games live, or on TV. Like Polaroid photos, whose lens-speed was set too for long, and whose exposure was allowed to be kept in a warm and windy place, so it could run and move – just like the athletes that he covered.

    I’d forgotten some of his seminal work for Playboy, and it was nice to be reminded of that great work, as well.

    He was truly a great artist. One of America’s best. And don’t let people tell you he wasn’t, because he’s most famous for sports.
    If he tried to paint Nixon, his painting would be as soulless as his subject.

    Better to capture committed people, running, throwing, jumping, leaping, swimming, and joyfully doing what they love, and memorializing that, instead of “A Still Life With Tricky Dick.”

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