24 Hours at Le Mans c. 1987

LeRoy Neiman's "24 Hours at Le Mans" is like a shot of pure adrenaline on canvas. The colors are bold, almost screaming with energy, and the brushstrokes? They're like the skid marks of a race car, fast and furious. Looking closely, you can practically feel the heat radiating off the asphalt. See how Neiman uses thick, juicy strokes of paint to build up the forms of the cars, but then lets the colors bleed and smear, like the world is blurring past in a rush of speed. Take a look at that red car in the foreground, with the number 20 splashed across its side. The red seems to vibrate against the cool blues of the track. It reminds me of the Fauves, like Matisse, who also weren’t afraid to let color do its thing. Neiman reminds us that art, like a race, is all about taking risks and pushing things to the limit.