Chuck Close

Chuck Close
source
Name	Chuck Close
Caption	Close in 2011
Birth name	Charles Thomas Close
Birth date	July 5, 1940
Birth place	Monroe, Washington
Death date	August 19, 2021
Death place	Oceanside, New York
Nationality	American
Education	University of Washington, Yale University, Vienna Academy of Fine Arts
Known for	Photorealism, Portrait painting
Notable works	Big Self-Portrait, Phil, Mark
Movement	Contemporary art
Awards	National Medal of Arts

Chuck Close was an American painter, photographer, and printmaker renowned for his monumental, highly detailed portraits. A central figure in the Photorealism and Contemporary art movements, he gained fame for his innovative grid-based techniques that transformed photographic images into large-scale paintings. Despite facing significant physical challenges later in life, he continued to produce influential work, receiving honors such as the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton.

Early life and education

Born in Monroe, Washington, he struggled with severe dyslexia and a neuromuscular condition, finding an early outlet in art. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in 1962 before pursuing an Master of Fine Arts at the Yale University School of Art, studying under influential figures like Josef Albers. A Fulbright Program grant allowed him to study at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1964, after which he moved to New York City, immersing himself in the downtown art scene.

Artistic career

He first gained major attention in the late 1960s with works exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 1967, he began teaching at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, but soon returned to New York City to focus on his painting. A catastrophic spinal artery collapse in 1988 left him partially paralyzed, yet he adapted his process, using a brush-holding device strapped to his wrist to continue creating. He remained a prolific figure, with his work consistently featured in major institutions like the Art Institute of Chicago and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Style and technique

He pioneered a meticulous, systematic approach, working from photographs he took himself. His early black-and-white paintings, like those of composer Philip Glass or artist Mark Rothko, were built from a grid of small, abstract cells, each filled with nuanced tonal marks. He later expanded into color, employing complex methods using fingerprinting, airbrush, and traditional oil painting. This process, deconstructing a photographic whole into discrete, methodical parts, became a hallmark of his practice and influenced movements like New Realism.

Major works and exhibitions

His breakthrough piece, Big Self-Portrait (1967-1968), was first shown at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and is now in the collection of the Walker Art Center. Other iconic portraits include Phil (1969), depicting Philip Glass, and Mark (1978-1979), a portrayal of Mark Rothko. Major retrospectives of his work have been organized by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His work is held in permanent collections worldwide, including the Tate Modern in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Later life and legacy

In his later decades, he continued to innovate with daguerreotype photography and tapestry works, while also facing controversy over allegations of misconduct. He received numerous accolades, including the National Medal of Arts in 2000 and the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. His influence extends to a wide range of artists within Photorealism and Contemporary art, and his techniques are studied in major art schools like the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He died at his home in Oceanside, New York, leaving a complex legacy as a master technician who redefined the modern portrait.

Category:American painters Category:Photorealist artists Category:Yale University alumni