Lovely Ladies 

LeRoy Neiman created this colorful serigraph, Lovely Ladies, using a screen-printing process that allows for vibrant blocks of color. This technique, often associated with commercial art and mass production, enabled Neiman to create many near-identical works and reach a broad audience. Look closely, and you can see how the ink lies flat on the surface, giving the image a graphic quality. The figures are built up from layers of translucent color, with areas of pure pigment giving depth and vibrancy. The nature of serigraphy, with its emphasis on bold, flat planes, encourages a simplified, almost stylized representation of the female form. Neiman was very interested in popular culture and celebrity. The serigraph allowed him to make those accessible to all. The choice of printing as a medium is itself a statement, blurring the lines between fine art and reproduction. The many impressions speak to the democratizing power of art, while the subject matter reflects the artist's fascination with celebrity and visual spectacle.