Note on Art

Note on Art

A note from LeRoy Neiman on his work's mediation of "high" and "low" art.

This note from LeRoy Neiman concerns the stylistic and art historical position of the artist’s work. Speaking to the tension between “high brow” and “low brow” that seemed to mark the artist’s posture, Neiman illustrates how this indeterminate place was in fact an ambition, emphasizing the utility of his and his work’s publicness. That said, this ambition should not be read as agenda. Within the note (as well as a number of others), the artist emphasizes how this public orientation was not contrived but rooted in his own cultural embeddedness.

LeRoy Neiman

LeRoy Neiman Foundation

LeRoy Neiman Foundation

c. 1990-2011

LeRoy Neiman

Property of the LeRoy Neiman Foundation; please consult the organization's archivist for further details.

Notes

Image/jpeg

English

Document

LN_Notes_924_01; LN_Notes_924_02

New York (N.Y.) New York

The work mirrored and stoked public interest
My conceptual style
Sized on the lure of the bar and casino, the cabaret and the spectacular shows with it’s stars, celebrities and habitués The sex appeal
(VOLUNTARY RECREATIONS SPENDING. IN SHORT THE WORLD OF PLAY)
The most salient aspects of
The singular aspects of very figure
The cherettes by Jules Cheret 19(’80)90’s
The Gibson Girl early 20th
The Petty Girl ’30s
I (didn’t) intend to linger longer
My work imparted the cache of serious art into my subjects bringing the imprimatur of art to commercial ventures
My work occupied a contested position
It was referred to as applied art
I exploited the print market. My dealer to keep me made concessions that proved profitable (for him). First refusing to handle /

and serigraphs (silkscreens) then later posters
He conceded then became a champion of Poster marketing
(REPRODUCTIONS)
My work blurred the distinctions between high and low. High art held but the so called low challenged as a wide public exposed to both responded to the low as their tastes thru exposure broadened
(Popular print dealer paralyzed) my success to a (this) huge (virgin) audience of people who loved my work and me as well. (Because I did it) There was no one like me until me (I came onto the scene). In the center of contemporary life—sports entertainment, sexual depictions (A breakthrough in my younger years)
They were my fans and, fans of the celebrities and way of life of this scene WORLD I depicted. My prints were elevated reaching a public well before the memorabilia binge and remained so above the highly advertised, promoted and hawked
My Prints (PRINT Reps.) (Capitalized)? On the burgeoning interest in Neiman. My bravura way of living in the milieu I painted[,] shaking up the establishment to paint they wen so far as to deni my existence.

Pencil, marker, and crayon on paper.