Artwork of the Week: August 17
Nat Leeb (1906-1990), 'Arizona', oil on canvas, 51 ¼ x 38 ¼ inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, gift of William K. and Mitzi B. Daines, 1981.
In Nat Leeb’s Arizona, Leeb encapsulates the spirit of Arizona on the canvas. The strong sunlight creates heat-shimmers on the painting’s surface. Each patch is surrounded by the shimmer: warm colors of brown, black, scarlet, and various shades of orange cover the lower half, transitioning to the clear and light blue sky. These vivid colors work together to balance the canvas with Arizona’s energetic heat and freshness. With no identifiable objects, abstraction leaves viewers to solely rely on colors and shapes, amplifying the sensory experiences. These striking visuals pull viewers into the heated atmosphere of the painting, making Leeb’s first hand perception universal.
