Vegas Blackjack 1976

LeRoy Neiman made this image of a Vegas Blackjack table with oil paint, and the brushwork is everywhere, right in your face. I can almost feel the frantic energy of the casino, and smell those stale cigars. The way he builds up the forms with these quick, almost violent marks, is so evocative. It feels like he’s trying to capture not just the scene, but the whole vibe. Neiman uses a mix of bright, saturated colors – electric blues, hot pinks, and acid greens – that give the painting a kind of surreal, hyper-real quality. You can see how the gestures capture the tension and excitement of the game. I think of other artists who painted gambling scenes, like maybe Manet, but Neiman’s got this raw, expressive quality that’s all his own. You know, every artist is just riffing off what came before, trying to find their own voice in the mix. Painting is like a conversation across time, where each artist adds their own spin to the story. There are no answers, just endless possibilities.