Emerson Boozer 1967

LeRoy Neiman made this painting of Emerson Boozer, and it feels like it was made in the heat of the moment. It’s all bright color and quick marks. You can see him figuring it out as he goes along, pushing and pulling the paint to find the figure. Looking at the way Neiman builds up the image, it’s all about materiality; thick strokes of green and white create the uniform, contrasted by bare patches of blue beneath, almost like the canvas itself is part of the composition. The brushstrokes around the legs especially, how they’re dragged vertically, give a sense of movement and energy, as if Boozer is always in action. Neiman's got a foot in the Expressionist camp, and you can see connections to someone like Willem de Kooning in that sense of frenetic energy, yet Neiman brings a Pop sensibility all his own. It’s like the painting is in motion even when it’s standing still.