Bill Walsh as Stanford Cardinal Head Coach 1993

LeRoy Neiman's painting of Bill Walsh as Stanford Cardinal Head Coach is a boisterous dance of color and form. Neiman’s process is so visible, those strokes of red and white seem to be yelling "Stanford!" as loud as any of the fans in the stands. I love the material presence of the paint itself. Look how Neiman builds up the surface, layering strokes of color to create texture and depth. The way he uses pinks and purples in Walsh’s face, instead of just settling for a flat white or grey, gives him such a vivid, lively presence. Then, the way the white of the clouds is echoed in the white of the paper he holds—it's a neat, subtle touch. Neiman’s work reminds me of someone like Joan Mitchell, both capturing the energy and emotion of a moment. Like Mitchell, Neiman embraces the messy, intuitive nature of painting. They both suggest that a painting isn't just a picture, it's an experience.