Time for another episode in my continuing series, Encounters With Recently Dead People Whom You Might Have Heard Of. I had a couple of occasions to visit LeRoy Neiman in his studio; it happened to be in my neighborhood. Regardless of my opinion of his work, I loved the way that he interacted with it. There seemed to be little distinction to be made among him, his life and the things he had created.
He had an artist’s dream studio, double height with an immense north-facing window. The place was filled with paintings, prints and one-of-a-kind objects that he had made (I remember one fantastic Gibson guitar which he was customizing for BB King). Of course, there was a fantastic story to go along with each of them.
In the ’60’s, Leroy Neiman had possibly the coolest job that any male alive at that time could have dreamed up: going on assignment for Playboy Magazine to discover “The Good Life.” His pal, Hef, would send him, all expenses paid, and all Leroy had to do was send back a few paintings for Hef to run in the magazine. In a running inside joke, Leroy would usually paint Hef into the scenes.
We interviewed him about a particular cruise ship that he had sailed on. His memories were vibrant and he delivered several terrific soundbites. He wasn’t bound up in his own experience; he was very able to place himself in the larger context of this magnificent ship and what it meant at the time.
He was a warm and engaging host. He took a particular interest in a hat that I was wearing. I don’t usually reveal my sources but I was happy to tell him where I had bought it, just around the corner from his house, as a matter of fact. He was that kind of guy, you would share your secrets with him.Jun 22, 2012, 11:58 AM