Roulette Las Vegas 1958

LeRoy Neiman made this painting, Roulette Las Vegas, sometime in the twentieth century using, it seems, a whole lot of oil paint. Look at how these marks dance around, like Neiman was trying to catch the feeling of the casino more than the details. The colors are juicy, almost good enough to eat, aren’t they? I love how he builds up the layers, especially near the roulette wheel, with those thick strokes of red and blue. You can almost feel the spin of the wheel and the energy of the crowd. He doesn't try to hide his process, but flaunts it! It reminds me of some of Joan Mitchell's more wild paintings, where the subject is just a starting point for a riot of color and gesture. Neither cared about getting it 'right', instead capturing a feeling. It's a good reminder that art isn't about perfect representation, but about what happens when you let loose with the materials.