The Pitcher 1978

LeRoy Neiman made this drawing of a baseball pitcher, probably with pastels, and the approach seems all about speed. It’s like the image is trying to catch up with the fleeting moment, a blur of action and energy. I love the way Neiman uses these broken marks to create a sense of movement. Look at how the colors vibrate against each other, especially around the pitcher's hands, it’s all these yellows and oranges. The application of color feels intuitive, even a little haphazard, but somehow it all comes together. It really gives you a sense of the grit and intensity of the game. Neiman reminds me of someone like Joan Mitchell, in the sense that there’s a freedom and gestural quality in his work, even though they're depicting totally different subjects. For me art is often like that; an embrace of uncertainty and a celebration of the many ways of seeing.