Chuck Close

Chuck Close

Charles Thomas “Chuck” Close born July 5, 1940, is an American painter and photographer who achieved fame as a photorealist, though his massive-scale portraits.

Chuck Close is known for using creative and intricate patterns to portray a human portrait. In 1988 he was left severely paralysed, but he still continued to paint and produce work that remains interesting to museums and collectors. Close lives and works on the south shore of Long Island, and New York Citys East Village and in Bridgehampton, New York. He has been married twice, an has two daughters with his first wife who he divorced in 2011.

Chuck Close first stood out to me over the internet, looking for a contemporary artist who paint portraits but incorporate the use of personal photography. In my work I wish to continue painting portraits but consolidate the use of my own photography skills I have previously acquired. I also was familiar with this art app called the “percolator” gives an effect very similar to Close's work but on any image I wish to use. It gave me an idea as to how I would like to see my own work finished and the result I could expect. The image to the left is an example of his work and the image to the right is a percolator example.

His work, at a first glance appears out of focus and blurry. He seems to continuously use this effect throughout his work to possibly distance the image he produces. His main focus is on human portrayal, which is the reason I decided to research him.  He seems to think of it as “reinventing portraiture for the next generation.” Wanting to give a modern, almost digital visual effect.

In the past I have studied and looked in depth at “pop art culture” which may not be exactly comparable to Close's work as it uses bolder colours and a more minimal approach but Close's work is comparable in the sense that its not a realistic image. Through research I have found that he has produced portraits of other artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Kara Walker and Philip Glass.

In my opinion Chuck Close stands out from other portrait artists in the many ways I have expressed above, but more than anything because I hadn't witnessed anything like it before.