Hurdler 1972

Curator: LeRoy Neiman's "Hurdler" from 1972 depicts a female athlete in mid-jump. The piece is painted in acrylic on canvas. Editor: My immediate response is just… energy! It feels like speed has been captured, not just a physical activity, but also the athlete's inner drive. The layering of the acrylics is vibrant, the colours chosen are not natural, rather emotionally driven. Curator: Indeed. Neiman was known for his dynamic, expressive style. We could say that the hurlding, in a way, is an enduring symbol for obstacles to overcome, it carries a weight that translates to personal goals, achievements, aspirations and perhaps, societal barriers. The figure almost dissolves into brushstrokes of yellow, blue and red. The whole painting seems about this moment of transcendence. Editor: I find the gestural marks so fascinating here. This looks like fast painting, really physical – that moment-to-moment translation of watching a figure in motion, direct to canvas. With his background in the army, and subsequent education in fine art, you see Neiman bridging the gap between reportage, graphic design, and this spontaneous expression. Acrylic, which has shorter drying time and increased intensity compared to oils, lends itself so perfectly to capture speed. Curator: The symbolic implications of such energetic representation should not be discarded. There is something universally powerful to it. Beyond technique and composition, what feelings are communicated here through Neiman’s mark-making? Perhaps the power of the female body or mind as expressed through this kind of performance. Editor: Absolutely. Even though the expressionistic style departs from precise figuration, we have an intuitive sense of strength. This wasn't made from observation of an actual race so much as Neiman creating this representation from his memory. So what interests me is how a painting like this almost fetishizes an athletic form, abstracting it into this kind of consumer object of pure vitality, pure aspiration, detached from context. Curator: The lack of specific detail amplifies its archetypal appeal. In abstraction the representation becomes not about a specific hurdle, but the act of hurdling; not about a specific race, but about perseverance. That brings this expression of athleticism towards something akin to visual mythology. Editor: And ultimately that's what makes it such an enduring image, and why people were buying LeRoy Neiman’s work, weren’t they? Thanks, this piece makes a very complex relationship very tangible.