The Artwork of Chuck Close

Background

• Close was born in Washington in 1940• He was severely disabled as a child. In

addition to physical limitations, Close could not perform simple math and was dyslexic.

• To help Close find something he could succeed at, his parents enrolled him in art lessons with a neighborhood artist.

• Close found his passion at a young age.

A Talent for Creating Likeness When Chuck attended art school, he worked with some of the most famous artists at that time. However, he developed his own methods and style, based on the grid, creating large-scale paintings and prints that have photographic resemblance to the people he portrays.

Above, museum-goers visit a painting by Chuck Close at the Museum of Modern

Art (MoMA)

Close captured even the smallest details of this

woman’s appearance, like stray hairs and freckles.

EvolutionChuck Close’s work has evolved over his career. His most recent work has taken on a more abstract appearance. When asked what the key to his success as an artist is, he says, “I’ve never had a day of artist’s block in my life. Everything I’ve done has come through hard work, nothing more.”

Chuck NowClose suffered from a stroke in 1988 which left him in a wheelchair. He now resides in New York City, where he continues to make work and regularly give talks. In March 2012, he was a keynote speaker at the National Art Education Association conference, where he spoke to a group of art teachers from across the country about the art making process.