Super Bowl XXVIII, Georgia Dome 1994

LeRoy Neiman captured Super Bowl XXVIII at the Georgia Dome with a flurry of colors and brushstrokes. Imagine him there, in the thick of it, his eyes darting, trying to keep up with the action, translating the raw energy of the game onto the canvas. The painting is a riot of color – reds, blues, greens, yellows – mirroring the stadium’s electrifying atmosphere. I can almost feel Neiman’s hand moving swiftly, urgently, across the surface, trying to capture the fleeting moment. I wonder if he felt like he was in the game? Look at that smear of yellow, right there, bursting like a firework. It's a touchdown, a roar from the crowd, pure adrenaline. You can feel the immediacy, the now-ness of the event. Neiman's work reminds me of the Expressionists, like Kirchner, but with a distinctly American flavor, a celebration of spectacle and speed. We may read the final score, but the game is played out in his memory of the day. Like all painters, we are standing on the shoulders of giants. What will the next generation make of this?