Knock-out portraits

Sandor Szenassy used to paint heavy figures from classical mythology and Christian history - St Jerome and the Lion, for instance. Since 1992, though, he's concentrated on even tougher subjects - black American heavyweight boxers (Evander Holyfield, right). "I see this as a natural extension of my work," he says, "not a discontinuity." Indeed, there is an iconic quality to the centrepiece of his exhibition, a monumental triptych of Sonny Liston in defeat. "The subject hasn't changed. I'm still using the body to deal with the human condition in extremis. These aren't," Szenassy insists, "sport paintings at all."

Nonetheless, when he was seeking wider exposure for his 8ft-square images of these massive heads and necks, Szenassy approached boxing promoter, Frank Warren. As well as handling big fights, Warren collects pictures of them (with the odd Max Ernst sculpture thrown in). With more generosity than originality, Warren counted himself "knocked out" by the portraits. "They're awesome. Not just their size. They capture the pride and presence of those fighters, and also their vulnerability, their sadness."

Warren stumped up what even in the art world is a large sum - six figures - to sponsor Szenassy's greatest ambition, a series of paintings of "the fight of the century", Joe Frazier versus Mohammed Ali in 1971. "Frank has made a body of work possible," says Szenassy gratefully. "He's an old-fashioned patron, and there aren't many about." The Frazier-Ali paintings ("formally, studies of the male nude'') are now finished and Warren will open their exhibition bout soon in (where else?) Las Vegas. "In conjunction with a world title fight. Frank Bruno's defence," says Warren, optimistically. "After he's beaten Mike Tyson."

Sandor Szenassy, `Heayweight Portraits', Rocket Gallery, 13 Burlington St, London W1 (0171-434 3043) to 9 Mar