Thurman Munson 1976

LeRoy Neiman paints Thurman Munson with thick strokes of oil, all reds, blues, and whites. The overall effect is explosive, dynamic. I can almost see him at work, in the studio, working with fast, loose brushstrokes, trying to capture the energy of his subject and the moment. I think of Neiman wrestling with this painting. He's smearing the paint, building up the surface, pushing and pulling the image into focus. Look at the lower left corner, how the blue fades to yellow, with flicks of white, the hand appears from it, as if by magic! What a moment of discovery. Artists are always in dialogue, building on each other's ideas and techniques. Neiman is part of that conversation, contributing his own unique voice and vision. Painting is a way to make sense of things, to feel, and to share that feeling. The painting remains open, inviting us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the work.