Give Chuck a Chance

June 4, 4:20 PMNY Art Events ExaminerShannon McEneaney

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Even though Alice Neel wasn’t impressed by Chuck Close’s work, Close’s prominence in the Contemporary art world is undeniable.  You would be hard pressed to go for long without hearing mention of his name, and with his characteristic shaved head and small circular glasses Close is unmistakable.  In fact, he happens to be the one celebrity sighting where I completely lost my cool, imagine blatant staring, gaping mouth and profanity.  That’s neither here nor there.  Chuck Close has pursued and achieved Photorealism throughout his career; his iconic self-portrait from 1967-68 is in the permanent collection of the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.  Working in a decidedly tedious manner, Close uses a system of grids which although rigid allows him the freedom to achieve his precise aesthetic.

Since May 1^st and running until June 20^th Pace Wildenstein’s 25^th Street location will show Close’s latest paintings and tapestries.  It is remarkable that someone who mid-career became a quadriplegic due to a spinal blood clot is still creating and with such scale and vigor.  Close is no stranger to misfortune, his childhood was inundated with illness and death, and it was art that was his solace.  Interesting that someone for whom reality seems to have dealt a tough hand should choose to depict reality with limited abstraction.

The paintings resemble cloisonné enamel, a blurred mosaic-like version of his signature portrait. Each portrait is a frontal bust, where the sitter is always intently staring back at the viewer.  Typical of Close, the paintings are quite large, measuring between 72" x 60" and 108-1/2" x 84", so the intensity of the stare becomes that much more magnified.  It’s up close with Chuck Close.  The tapestries are also intricate and time consuming, Close’s attention to detail reigns true.

If you’re not “Close”d minded don’t miss Chuck Close: Selected Paintings and Tapestries, 2005-2009 at PaceWildenstein.

For more info: http://www.pacewildenstein.com/Default.aspx

Chuck Close  Self-Portrait, 2008

Photo by: G.R. Christmas / Courtesy PaceWildenstein, New York

© Chuck Close, Courtesy PaceWildenstein, New York