Chuck Close
Chuck Close (1940–2021) was an American artist known for large portraits developed from photographs. His work included paintings, drawings, photographs, collages and prints, often depicting himself or people he knew.[1]
Work
After studying at the University of Washington and Yale, Close moved to New York City. He turned from abstraction to large, realistically detailed faces. Big Self-Portrait (1967–1968) was an early example of his use of an airbrush.[1]
Close subsequently experimented with dots, fingerprints and paper pulp, organising images through a grid. In later paintings, individual squares became more visibly distinct while still contributing to a recognisable face. Following a spinal injury in 1988, he adapted his working methods and used a wrist brace to hold his brush.[1]
His process combined photographic reference material with painstaking manual construction. In a 2005 interview, he described his interest in making portraits of ordinary people and in giving equal attention to different parts of the picture.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Walker Art Center. “Chuck Close”. Artist account, with life dates 1940–2021. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ Siri Engberg and Madeleine Grynsztejn (1 July 2005). “Navigating the Self”. Interview with Chuck Close, Walker Art Center.