axl007 Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 -Painter and sketch artist LeRoy Neiman, best known for evoking the kinetic energy of the world's biggest sporting and leisure events with bright quick strokes, died Wednesday at age 91. Neiman's paintings, many executed in household enamel paints that allowed him his fast-moving strokes, are an explosion in reds, blues, pinks, greens and yellows of pure kinetic energy.It was the essence of a basketball or football game, swim meet or cycling event that captured his imagination most. "For an artist, watching a (Joe) Namath throw a football or a Willie Mays hit a baseball is an experience far more overpowering than painting a beautiful woman or leading political figure," Neiman said in 1972. Neiman was a World War II veteran who participated in the invasion of Normandy and fought in the Battle of the Bulge."I just love what I do," Neiman told the AP. "I love the passion you go through while you're creating" and the public's "very thoughtful and careful studied and emotional reaction of what you're doing."If you do not know his work please look him up-AXL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axl007 Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 Double post, kill one--sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfwabel Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I heard about this on Thursday. He was a large part of my life, but I am closer to 40 than the vast majority of posters. His art was the "sports art" that I grew up with and was even on numerous prints/serigraphs you could buy. He was also the official painter to the IOC for decades.He lost it in the 1990's and I remember when when the US picked Peter Max for the World Cup art over him. Not that his career needed it, but that was when he really became less of a figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmackman Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I love his work, and have seen plenty of it. Sorry to see the artist as passed.BTW, how did you get the big head players on your sig. I'd like to find some of those for mine. "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be running." - Unknown | Check out my articles on jerseys at Bacon Sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrypep Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 The Namath painting above is a great painting. RIP to a legend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goforbroke Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 The final freeze frame scene at the end of rocky ||| is what I always think of, but his work is really really amazing and evokes so much movement and emotion. It's exactly the type of pop-art I like, big bold lots of energy bright colors, and then combining that with sports is just a perfect blend. I believe he also appeared in a few of the rocky movies as the fight announcer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njmeadowlanders Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 My father has had that hanging in his home office for 22 years now.(A print of course, not the original...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walby2 Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Great thread in memory of one of the true greats. I always liked the Neiman prints that lined the walls of a barber shop I frequented for quite a few years... ones like this really impressed me. I'd never get tired of looking at them:He did a pretty wide range of sports and leisure pursuits beyond the typical North American team sports... Neiman really knew how to bring out the colour and movement in those scenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubby34 Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 This always stood out to me, even when seeing piazza accept it as a member of the mets at Shea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTank Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 The final freeze frame scene at the end of rocky ||| is what I always think of, but his work is really really amazing and evokes so much movement and emotion. It's exactly the type of pop-art I like, big bold lots of energy bright colors, and then combining that with sports is just a perfect blend. I believe he also appeared in a few of the rocky movies as the fight announcer.He was the ring announcer when The Italian Stallion met the ultimate male Thunderlips.And if there was a better artist at capturing sports than LeRoy Nieman I cant think of one. Nieman and his unique style really was iconic. www.sportsecyclopedia.com For the best in sports history go to the Sports E-Cyclopedia at http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriscj83 Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 This one is my favorite- Rocky vs. ApolloI have to find a print of this. Or, more appropriately, I have to find money to buy a print of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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