Chuck Close

Chuck Close is widely known for his painterly process of using abstraction to a realistic end. Gridding both a source photograph and a canvas, Close paints brightly-colored concentric rings that up close look like simple color fields, but from afar turn out to be very detailed portraits. His celebrated subjects include Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Chamberlain, Jasper Johns, Brad Pitt, Robert Rauschenberg, and Kate Moss. His recognition as one of the greatest artists of his generation is almost universal.

With his work recently gracing New York City taxis, and soon to decorate the set of a biographical ballet (scored by his friend Philip Glass) at the American Ballet Theater, Close is truly a major face of the New York art scene. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, has served on the board of many arts organizations, and has more than 20 honorary doctorates. He was recently appointed by President Obama to serve on the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.


Click here to read about Chuck Close's gripping portraits of artists at Guild Hall.

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Articles

Invite a few new faces in, via contemporary portraiture
Invite a few new faces in, via contemporary portraiture
Chuck Close in Conversation with Vija Celmins
Chuck Close in Conversation with Vija Celmins
Sexy Cheesecake: How Humans Evolved to Love Art
Sexy Cheesecake: How Humans Evolved to Love Art
How to Make It in the Art World
How to Make It in the Art World
How Do Today's Art Stars Make Prints?
How Do Today's Art Stars Make Prints?
The 7 Best MFA Painting Programs in the U.S.
The 7 Best MFA Painting Programs in the U.S.
10 of the Best Artworks at Art Cologne 2016
10 of the Best Artworks at Art Cologne 2016
Sheena Wagstaff on the New Met Breuer
Sheena Wagstaff on the New Met Breuer
Benu Chef Corey Lee's 5 Favorite Artworks
Benu Chef Corey Lee's 5 Favorite Artworks
Bill Arning on the Return of Figurative Painting
Bill Arning on the Return of Figurative Painting
10 of the Best Artworks at EXPO CHICAGO 2015
10 of the Best Artworks at EXPO CHICAGO 2015
7 Self-Portraits Everyone Should Know
7 Self-Portraits Everyone Should Know
Morgan Falconer's 7 Favorite Works on Artspace
Morgan Falconer's 7 Favorite Works on Artspace
Artists to Watch This May
Artists to Watch This May
Photorealism: Art or Craft? Richard Estes at MAD
Photorealism: Art or Craft? Richard Estes at MAD
10 of the Best Artworks at Zona Maco 2015
10 of the Best Artworks at Zona Maco 2015
How to Collect Modern American Photography
How to Collect Modern American Photography
How the Grid Conquered Contemporary Art
How the Grid Conquered Contemporary Art
10 of the Most Influential MFA Programs
10 of the Most Influential MFA Programs
A Brief History of the Whitney Biennial
A Brief History of the Whitney Biennial