Chuck Close is an American painter, printmaker and
photographer born on July 5, 1940. He is known for his larger than scale
portraits. One of his first paintings/drawings was a self-portrait. Other works
include “Mark” (1978) which was displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in
New York and “Fanny” (1987) that is on display at the National Gallery of Art. The portraits were usually of people that were
close to him. In 1988, Close suffered a seizure which left him paralyzed from
the neck down. The accident did not stop him from working. He continued to work
on his portraits with some help and using a more abstract style.
"Fanny" (1987)
"Self Portrait" (1978)
Chuck Close begins his artistic process by taking a close up
shot of his subject and drawing a grid on top of the photograph. Close draws a
grid on a large scale canvas that was approximately nine feet by seven feet.
Close would work on each individual grid and it would take him about a year and
a half to finish the portrait. Close has also made portraits using layers of
color. He would make layers of the portrait using blue, yellow and red. The portraits show Close’s dedication to his artwork.
He spent a lot of time focusing on detail and size. Close also used a variety of techniques to
create his portraits. He used traditional brush strokes and a unique technique
using his fingers. The results of the mark making using fingertips were
successful. His dedication is visible
because the portraits seem almost perfect and look a lot like the photograph that
he started with.
The portraits are really interesting to look at from
different distances. It is better if one has the opportunity to see one of his
portraits in person. “Fanny” (1987) is displayed at the National Gallery of Art
in Washington D.C and I was able to see it. From far away, the portrait of the
elderly woman looks clear and the brush stroke/marks are not visible. When up
close. The marks Chuck Close made with his fingerprints were visible. It was
easy to distinguish the light and dark marks he made on the canvas. Close’s portraits have been aesthetically
pleasing from any distance. They are realistic and look like a larger
photograph. I think that he was successful with his portraits in both color and
black and white.
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