Rusty Staub 1986

LeRoy Neiman made this expressive painting of Rusty Staub with generous daubs of oil paint and loose brushwork. Rather than attempting to simply record the likeness of his subject, Neiman has used the materiality of the paint itself to capture the kinetic energy of a baseball player at bat. The thick impasto of Neiman’s style means that each stroke stands out on its own, and the physical properties of the medium are highly visible. The painting becomes a record of the artist’s own physical gestures, mirroring the movement of the athlete depicted. The image is built up with quick, almost frenetic marks, which perfectly suits the dynamism of the scene. Neiman was not interested in traditional notions of craft; his commitment was to capturing a fleeting moment, a feeling of exhilaration and the vibrancy of popular culture. By exploring the physical properties of his materials, he elevated the medium to become the message. In doing so, he encourages us to look beyond the image, and to appreciate the labor and the artist's hand involved in its creation.