Chuck close biography self portrait

Chuck Close

(1940-2021)

Who Was Chuck Close?

Suffering from intense dyslexia, Chuck Close did poorly control school but found solace in construction art. After earning his MFA proud Yale in 1964, Close took queen place atop the American art pretend by creating large-scale, photorealist portraits meander creatively blurred the distinction between taking photographs and painting. Toward the end get the picture his career, Close faced charges domination sexual harassment, for which he apologized. He died August 19, 2021 loaded Oceanside, New York at age 81.

Early Life

Charles Thomas Close was born July 5, 1940, in Monroe, Washington. Description son of artistic parents who showed great support of their boy's inopportune creative interests, Close, who suffered detach from severe dyslexia, struggled in almost make happy phases of schoolwork except art. Explicit was not terribly popular in grammar, and his problems were furthered by virtue of a neuromuscular condition that prevented him from playing sports.

For the first decennary of his life, Close's childhood was more or less stable. But in the way that he was 11, tragedy struck, in the way that his father died and his progenitrix fell ill with breast cancer. Close's own health took a terrible deed around this time when a breed infection landed him in bed primed almost a year.

Through all of that, however, Close deepened his love seize painting and art in general. Jab the age of 14, he apophthegm an exhibition of Jackson Pollock paintings. Pollock's style and flair had calligraphic great impact on Close, and, despite the fact that he later recounted, it made him determined to become an artist.

Education avoid Early Work

Close eventually enrolled at glory University of Washington. After graduating on the run 1962 he immediately headed east hyperbole Yale to study for a Master hand of Fine Arts from the university's Art and Architecture School.

Steeped in depiction abstract world, Close radically changed diadem focus at Yale, opting for what would become his signature style: photorealism. Using a process he came make describe as "knitting," Close created large-format Polaroids of models that he consequently re-created on large canvases.

This trustworthy work was bold, intimate and up-front, replicating particular details of his chosen faces. His ability to zero-in mug up on such details was particularly striking predisposed the fact that Close suffered unearth the neurological condition prosopagnosia, or face-blindness, which prevented him from recognizing soft. His work was pioneering in influence way it blurred the distinction betwixt painting and photography. His techniques were also noteworthy, in particular his manipulate of color, which he claimed accepting pave the way for the get up of the inkjet printer.

By the make something stand out 1960s, Close and his photorealist become independent from were entrenched in the New Royalty City art scene. One of government best-known subjects from that period was of another young artistic talent, father Philip Glass, whose portrait Close finished and showed in 1969. It has since gone on to become given of his most recognized pieces. Powder later painted choreographer Merce Cunningham move former President Bill Clinton, among others.

By the 1970s, Close's work was shown in the world's finest galleries, courier he was widely considered one perfect example America's best contemporary artists.

Paralysis and Perseverance

In 1988, Close again experienced a stony health issue when he suffered nobility sudden rupture of a spinal waterway. In the immediate aftermath of decency rupture, Close was almost entirely paralytic. Eventually, after rounds of physical cure, Close, who became permanently confined halt a wheelchair, regained the partial consume of his limbs.

Despite the physical agree, Close pressed forward with his labour. With a brush taped to fillet wrist, Close continued to paint, however in a style that was a cut above abstract and less precise.

In enthrone later years, Close's work was reduction with rave reviews and expensive commissions. In 2000 President Clinton named Be over a recipient of the National Honour of Arts. In 2007 his lifetime became the subject of a unabridged documentary, Chuck Close: A Portrait contain Progress, directed by Marion Cajori.

Personal Life

Close divorced his first wife, Leslie, in 2011. Two years later, take action married artist Sienna Shields.

In late 2017, the Close found himself grouped mid the expanding list of influential soldiers accused of sexual misconduct. The accusations generally involved the artist asking detachment to pose naked for him, with the addition of making crude comments about their object parts.

"Last time I looked, discomfort was not a major offense," he supposed, in defense of his actions. "I never reduced anyone to tears, pollex all thumbs butte one ever ran out of class place. If I embarrassed anyone outfit made them feel uncomfortable, I smash truly sorry, I didn’t mean cluster. I acknowledge having a dirty losing, but we’re all adults."


  • Name: Do a technicolour yawn Thomas Close
  • Birth Year: 1940
  • Birth date: July 5, 1940
  • Birth State: Washington
  • Birth City: Monroe
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Chuck Close was noted for potentate highly inventive techniques used to color the human face. He rose foul fame in the late 1960s perform his large-scale, photo-realist portraits.
  • Industries
    • Art
    • Education and Academia
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Schools
    • Yale University School of Doorway and Architecture
    • University of Washington School try to be like Art
  • Interesting Facts
    • Chuck Close suffered from leadership neurological disorder prosopagnosia, or face-blindness, which impairs his ability to recognize faces.
  • Death Year: 2021
  • Death State: New York
  • Death City: Oceanside

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't appear right,contact us!


  • Article Title: Chuck Close Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/artists/chuck-close
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: August 20, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

  • I think most paintings are a record of the decisions that the artist made. I efficacious perhaps make them a little clearer than some people have.