Secretariat II 1990

LeRoy Neiman made this image of Secretariat, I don't know when, with a dedication to capturing the raw energy and spectacle of the race. The marks are all about the dynamism of the moment. The surface is alive with Neiman’s signature bold strokes and vibrant colors. Look at how he uses a whole rainbow—oranges, pinks, teals, blues— layering them to create this sense of movement, like the horses are bursting off the canvas. I really love the way the orange paint at the bottom of the canvas morphs into the horses legs, as if they are bursting forth from the earth. Neiman’s work reminds me a little bit of Matisse, in its commitment to colour, or maybe a Futurist painting with it's focus on motion. But like, totally his own thing. Ultimately, it’s a piece that celebrates the joy of painting itself, and how a painting can be an event in itself.