Brendan Smith on Pinkline about Chuck Close
“Before he became a world-renowned artist, Chuck Close spent his childhood conjuring tricks. He would don the traditional top hat and cane of a magician for his performance but he had an unusual finale.
‘I broke the cardinal rule of magic and I told people how the trick was done,” he said Wednesday during an intimate discussion at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. “If you still see the illusion after it is made, then you’ve really done something.’
The same could be said about Close’s art. During a revealing conversation with biographer Christopher Finch, Close explained his techniques in detail, but the lifting of the curtain didn’t detract from his compelling work on display in Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration.
‘Most people have no idea how art happens,’ Close said. ‘I wanted to show my interest in process and a record of decisions made.’
The exhibition, which opens July 3 at the Corcoran, showcases Close’s collaboration with printers who have pushed the boundaries of their own craft to create new visions of his iconic portraits. More than 100 works are featured with paintings and etchings displayed next to prints, proofs, and grids. The show offers a lesson in printmaking by revealing the intricate technical complexities involved in making a 203-color silkscreen or a 113-color Japanese woodcut.
While sitting in an electric wheelchair, Close spoke about the many hardships in his life with undying optimism and a remarkable sense of humor. He grew up in a ‘classic dirt-poor’ environment in Monroe, Washington, where he lived in a small rundown house with white clapboards and red trim. His father died when he was 11 years old and his mother struggled with cancer and heart disease. Close had his own troubles in school.
‘Art saved my life,’ he said. ‘I was so severely learning disabled. There was no such thing as dyslexia in the ‘40s or ‘50s. You were just dumb.’ “
Click here to read the complete post. To learn more about the artist, visit his website here.
Image in the post is a Close work, from Smith’s post.
