Hunt Field 1967

Editor: We are looking at "Hunt Field" by LeRoy Neiman, made in 1967 with acrylic paint. The intense green overwhelms me a bit, and the horses and figures are so loosely rendered! What is your impression of how Neiman utilizes the elements of art here? Curator: The dynamism of the composition strikes me first. Neiman masterfully employs a limited palette –primarily vibrant greens, reds, and blacks– to construct a scene teeming with energetic brushstrokes. Note how the artist deconstructs the subject matter into an array of gestural marks and color fields. What do you observe about the arrangement of these colours, and how they create a sense of movement? Editor: It’s like the whole scene is vibrating, isn’t it? The juxtaposition of the verdant background with the bursts of red on the riders definitely catches the eye. Is he distorting them deliberately, like I've seen with Fauvists or Expressionists? Curator: Precisely. This is where we begin to understand the relationship between representation and abstraction. While the scene is representational – a fox hunt – Neiman abstracts the forms to convey speed and excitement. Notice, also, how the lack of defined lines and forms compels the viewer to engage actively with the work, filling in the blanks and completing the visual narrative. Are the stark blacks creating a clear distinction and enhancing contrasts? Editor: I think it emphasizes the erratic quality and sense of rushing in the space of the canvas. It creates depth while also flattening some elements in the work... So it’s the distorted, flattened, chaotic-yet-contained forms that evoke a feeling? Curator: Absolutely. The brilliance lies in how Neiman uses these formal devices. Editor: That’s made me look at the painting in a different light. It’s much more than just an image of a hunt. Curator: Indeed. And through this analysis, we discover that it becomes a powerful expression of motion, color, and form.