Mirabelle , Paul Getty , Sammy Davis , Charlie Chaplin , Marlon Brando 1966

LeRoy Neiman’s painting, of Mirabelle and a host of famous diners, is made with loose brushstrokes and vibrant color, it’s a celebration of spontaneity. He captures a moment in time, but also the energy and excitement of the restaurant. The painting is all about the texture and the feel of paint. Thick strokes give it a sense of immediacy, like Neiman was right there, capturing the scene as it unfolded, the paint almost sculptural, giving the canvas a real sense of depth. Look at the way he uses pinks and greens to suggest the form of the woman’s shoulders in the foreground, it's a shorthand for light and shadow, a way of suggesting volume without getting bogged down in detail. Neiman reminds me of a looser, more commercial version of someone like Kokoschka. There's a similar energy and a love of capturing a scene, but with less psychological weight. Ultimately, these paintings embrace ambiguity and multiple interpretations over fixed meanings.