PHOTOGRAPHS DO NOT BEND GALLERY
3115 Routh Street, Dallas, TX 75201 ~ 214/969-1852
Neil Leifer: Ali v. Liston
Ali v. Liston, 1965
Neil Leifer: JFK and LBJ at Baseball Opener
JFK and LBJ at Baseball Opener, 1961
Neil Leifer: Secretariat
Secretariat, 1973
Neil Leifer: The Best of Leifer
December 6, 2002 – February 8, 2003

PHOTOGRAPHS DO NOT BEND gallery features a solo exhibition for the famous photojournalist, Neil Leifer. From 1960 to 1978 Neil Leifer worked for Sports Illustrated magazine. 160 cover photographs by Leifer were published during this period. Later he worked for Time magazine which published approximately 40 covers by Leifer including three U.S. presidents. His work was published in Newsweek and Life magazines as well.

Leifer is mostly known for his sports photographs, especially the dramatic photograph of the Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston fight in Lewiston, Maine in1965. This climactic knock-out shot of Ali standing over Liston’s prone body shows the power and might of Ali’s physique. His expression is one of dominance while Liston’s defeated body sprawls across the canvas.

Although sports photography was a significant part of Leifer’s career, his photojournalism covered many more subjects: Hollywood personalities, politicians, presidents. He photographed wild life, prisons, naval ships and other military subjects during war and in peacetime.

This exhibition will be the first of its genre to be shown at Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery. Some of the sports figure highlights will include: Nolan Ryan at Spring Training, FL 1989; 2 photographs of Roger Staubach; Arnold Palmer at the U.S. Open, 1966; Mike Tyson in his dressing room with baby, Memphis 2002; Coach Tom Landry and Don Meredith. Other notables in the show will include Willie Nelson; Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin on a movie set; Vice President Johnson sitting with President Kennedy in the stands of a Washington Senators baseball game; the Battleship New Jersey at the Gulf of Tonkin, North Vietnam, 1968; and Triple Crown winning horse, Secretariat.

A video, The Best of Leifer, will be played concurrently at the gallery. This documentary will cover details of Leifer’s prolific career.

Both color and black and white photographs will be featured. Neil Leifer will be available for interviews December 6-7. He will sign books at the exhibition opening. His book, The Best of Leifer, is for sale at the gallery (Abbeville Press, $75).


This artist is featured in our BOOKSTORE.
Visit Neil Leifer's artist page.