Close painted heads nine feet tall using a grid system that turned a photograph into a mosaic of coloured marks. Each square of the grid contains a small abstract painting: loops, dots, concentric rings. From a distance they assemble into a photorealistic face. Up close they dissolve into pattern. The paintings are about the gap between the two distances.
Key facts
- Lived
- 1940–2021, American
- Movement
- Works held in
- 22 museums[1]
Biography
He grew up in Monroe, Washington, and studied at Yale under Josef Albers. He was dyslexic and face-blind (prosopagnosic), which meant he could not recognise people by their features. Painting faces from photographs, grid square by grid square, was partly a way of learning faces through process. Each portrait took months. He used the same subjects repeatedly: himself, his wife, his friends. Philip Glass. Lucas Samaras. Alex Katz.
In 1988, at forty-eight, he suffered a spinal artery collapse that left him almost completely paralysed. He was told he would never paint again. He resumed painting within months, strapping a brush to his wrist with Velcro, working from a wheelchair. The post-paralysis paintings are looser, the grid marks larger and more expressive, but the method is the same. He did not change his approach. He adapted his body to continue it.
His later years were complicated by allegations of sexual harassment, which he partially acknowledged. Several institutions cancelled exhibitions. The work and the biography became difficult to separate, which is a problem he shares with other artists in this collection and which has no satisfying resolution.
He died in 2021, at eighty-one.
Timeline
- 1968Painted "Big Self-Portrait" aged 28.
- 1976Painted "Phil" aged 36.
- 1986Painted "Leslie" aged 46.
- 1992Painted "Alex (Color)" aged 52.
- 2000Painted "Self-Portrait" aged 60.
- 2007Painted "Self-Portrait" aged 67.
Notable Works
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Where to See Chuck Close
10 museums worldwide.
-
5 works
Museum of Modern Art
Midtown Manhattan, United States
-
3 works
Whitney Museum of American Art
Manhattan, United States
-
2 works
Cleveland Museum of Art
Wade Park, United States
- 2 works
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, United States
-
1 works
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, United States
Related Artists
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Frequently Asked Questions
Chuck close art style name?
Chuck Close is known for painting large-scale photorealist portraits.Did chuck close have face blindness?
Chuck Close was face-blind (prosopagnosic), meaning that he could not recognise people by their features. Painting faces from photographs, grid square by grid square, was partly a way for him to learn faces through process.How did chuck close become paralyzed?
In 1988, Chuck Close suffered a spinal artery collapse that left him almost completely paralysed.Is chuck close still alive?
No, Chuck Close died in 2021.Was chuck close cancelled?
In his later years, Chuck Close faced allegations of sexual harassment, which he partially acknowledged. Several institutions cancelled exhibitions of his work.Was chuck close paralyzed?
In 1988, Chuck Close suffered a spinal artery collapse that left him almost completely paralysed. He was told he would never paint again, but resumed painting within months.What is chuck close best known for?
Chuck Close is best known for painting heads nine feet tall using a grid system. From a distance, the grids assemble into a photorealistic face, but up close they dissolve into pattern.When did chuck close die?
Chuck Close died in 2021 at the age of 81.When did chuck close start painting?
Chuck Close drew the attention of critics for the first time in 1967 with his large, realistic black and white paintings.Who was chuck close influenced by?
Chuck Close studied at Yale under Josef Albers.Why did chuck close use the grid method?
Chuck Close used a grid system that turned a photograph into a mosaic of coloured marks. Painting faces from photographs, grid square by grid square, was partly a way for him to learn faces, as he was face-blind.Chuck close art movement?
Chuck Close's art movement is Photorealism.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Chuck Close.
- [1] museum Toledo Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Buffalo AKG Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Cleveland Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Museum of Fine Arts Boston Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Carnegie Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Whitney Museum of American Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Typesetter01, 3638_W_Kleiner.FM_V2.qxd Used for: biography.
- [8] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-31. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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