Hand Off – Super Bowl III 2007

LeRoy Neiman made this painting of Super Bowl III, deploying thick impasto strokes of oil paint on canvas. Neiman wasn't afraid of popular subject matter. Here, he captured an iconic moment in sports. But he also embraced the inherent qualities of oil paint. Look at the texture and vibrancy, built up through layers of bold color. The image almost dissolves into abstraction. This wasn’t a new technique. Think of Van Gogh, a clear influence. Yet Neiman applies this painterly approach to a modern spectacle, professional football. It’s an interesting mix: on the one hand, an embrace of the physical, visceral qualities of paint, and on the other, a celebration of high-stakes competition, labor, and consumption. It challenges our assumptions about what "high art" can be. It asks us to think about how the most familiar subjects can be transformed through an artist's touch.