Chuck Close is an artist who is still alive, and he is an artist who makes art that elicits awe in those who see his work. But who he is may surprise.
I went to The Art Institute of Chicago with some friends about five years ago (something like that). Since I live up in Wisconsin, we were down in Chicago for the day. We weren’t planning on going to the institute, but that day was a free day, so we decided what better way to spend a few hours than looking at paintings (I know everyone reading this would be as excited as I was). Besides how amazing it is that people can create photo-realistic paintings, one room sticks out to me in particular. I have always been a fan of Monet, but before that, I had only seen one of his pieces in person, and this piece was around a square foot in size. In The Art Institute of Chicago, they have a whole room of Monets (the paintings, not the man). Why do I like Monet so much? Because of how his art is can be viewed. If you stand close to it, it is a muddle of color, and even I don’t think it is very impressive. But if you step into the center of the room, the paintings suddenly come into focus.
Another artist that creates a similar effect with his paintings is named Chuck Close. Most people know who Monet is, but unless you are as interested in art as I am, you probably have never heard of Chuck Close. Similar to Monet, Chuck Close’s art is on the large side (the very large side), but what is special about him is how he paints. Chuck Close is paralyzed. He isn’t even able to hold a brush correctly. So how does he overcome this barrier, he straps a paint-brush to his wrist, and each of his paintings is done one little piece at a time. It reminds me a lot of how you have to write a book.
Here are a few youtube videos that show a little bit about him, his artwork, and his process:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5FPcRhInfM
And here is his website if you want some more information on him. http://chuckclose.com/
(Some of his work is not appropriate for children)
Featured Image: “”Frank” by Close”” by Tim Wilson is licensed under CC BY 2.0