Fencing at Munich Olympics 1972

LeRoy Neiman made this image of fencing at the Munich Olympics using loose marks and a limited palette of pinks, blues, and whites, like a memory half-faded but full of energy. Neiman’s image isn't about perfect representation, it’s more like a feeling, you know? The fencers are built up from layers of color. Look at the way the blue peeks out from under the white, suggesting movement, like a kind of shimmering aura around the figures. The lines are so immediate, you can almost feel the speed of the athletes and hear the clash of the swords. The lavender background is applied with a textured effect, almost like the surface of the canvas is vibrating with excitement. Neiman’s work reminds me a bit of Matisse, in the way he uses color to create a sense of rhythm and vitality. It’s this sense of capturing a fleeting moment. Art isn't about showing what's there, it’s about showing what it feels like to be there.