Bob Peak
Horse Racing Illustration, 1961
Acrylic on Board
22 1/4 × 17 1/2 in / 56.5 × 44.5 cm
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If there is a better artist alive than Bob Peak... please let me know? Sadly, you will not find him at Art Basel or in the recent art sections of...
If there is a better artist alive than Bob Peak... please let me know? Sadly, you will not find him at Art Basel or in the recent art sections of MOMA. He's too good for those venues. If they exhibited his work it would call into question the validity of the other "Art" on the wall. In this original action painting.. action brush strokes, vibrant colors and a zoom effect are used to convey the sense of motion and excitement of a horse race. The riders face is red ochre to stand out from the cool blues. The scene is viewed from an angle that would not be seen by a spectator. Rather, it was conceptualized by the artist to convey a maximum moment of drama. The action is described with an extreme close-up of the faces of tandem equine and human athletes. The horses nostrils flare as the screaming jockey snaps his whip to keep ahead of a looming pursuer. Horse and Rider is a classic subject in art history but this may be one of the most unique and innovated executions of the subject. Legendary artist Bob Peak is known to be the father of the Modern Movie Poster with works for Star Trek, Superman, Excalibur, James Bond, and Apocalypse Now. Additionally, he was one of the most in-demand illustrators in New York for decades. His work has appeared on the covers of Time, Sports Illustrated, TV Guide among others. One of the unique aspects of being an illustrator, is that you are commission with a job to do by an art director with a deadline. It's quite a different approach than assigning yourself a personal art project, where the only one you have to make happy is yourself.