Circus 2001

LeRoy Neiman's "Circus" is an explosion of color and movement, a joyous frenzy captured with what looks like the boldest oil pastels or maybe acrylics. Neiman’s mark-making is so direct and unfiltered, it’s like he’s trying to bottle the energy of the circus itself. Look at how he layers those colors, building up a thick impasto that practically vibrates off the canvas. It's not about precision; it's about feeling. See that swirl of orange and red in the upper corner? It's pure, unadulterated joy, like the sun is bursting right through the big top. The way he renders the performers feels like pure elation and energy. Neiman’s work reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell, or maybe even some of the Fauvist painters, with their love of intense, unmodulated color. But Neiman has a directness that is all his own. He invites us to revel in the sheer spectacle of life, and to embrace the messy, unpredictable beauty of it all.