PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Vancouver
RCSH Investments Ltd., Vancouver

Neil Leifer has stated that his best photograph, in his own personal opinion, is Muhammad Ali vs. Cleveland Williams, Houston, Texas. The photograph captures the triumphant knockout of the 1966 heavyweight fight, a landmark in Ali’s - and subsequently Leifers’s- incredible career. To achieve such an aerial and slightly abstract image, Leifer placed a camera in the rafters of the Houston Astrodome, a tactic that was revolutionary at the time. Only adding to the interest of the photograph is that Leifer is actually in the image, located in the upper left corner leaning on the canvas in a blue shirt and armed with a camera in each hand. Noticeably absent are the advertisements, sponsorships or modern day boxing distractions. Instead, the focus is the strength of the competitors, electricity of the atmosphere and potency of the moment. Such qualities cemented Leifer’s status of being considered one of the greatest sports photographers of our time, and catapulted this image to international status. Ultimately, the work is a combination of a number of palpable strengths; of the great Champion Ali, Leifer’s innovative ideas and the electrifying composition.

The sheet size of the photograph is 20 x 16 inches.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars

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