Lone Ranger and Tonto 1981

LeRoy Neiman made this painting, Lone Ranger and Tonto, sometime around 1977. It's like Neiman is capturing a fleeting moment, isn’t it? Like he’s trying to catch these figures in time through his fast, expressive marks. The thing that really grabs me about this painting is the way Neiman uses color and texture. See how he builds up the figures with these vibrant, almost scribbled strokes? It’s thick in some spots, like around the horses' legs. There are spots of blues, yellows, and pinks, all smashed together. The texture gives the painting this almost restless energy. Check out the bottom of the painting to see how the legs of the horses are only suggested, Neiman builds up the figures from the feet upwards using these expressive jabs of paint. Neiman reminds me a bit of someone like Joan Mitchell. Both of them are interested in capturing a sensation, an energy. But where Mitchell might be after something more internal, Neiman's always looking outward, at the spectacle of the world. In the end, it’s not about getting it 'right,' but about exploring the possibilities of paint.