Chuck Close

American artist (1940–2021)

Charles Thomas "Chuck" Close (July 5, 1940 – August 19, 2021) was an American painter, artist and photographer.

Chuck Close
Chuck Close in 2009
Born
Charles Thomas Close

(1940-07-05)July 5, 1940
DiedAugust 19, 2021(2021-08-19) (aged 81)
NationalityAmerican
EducationB.A., University of Washington, 1962; M.F.A., Yale University
Known forPhotorealistic painter, photographer
Spouse(s)Leslie Rose, Sienna Shields

Early life

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Close was born in Monroe, Washington. He was raised in Everett, Washington. Close studied at the University of Washington and at Yale University. He suffered from dyslexia.[1]

Career

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Close achieved fame as a photorealist, through his massive-scale portraits.[2] Close often paints abstract portraits of himself and others, which hang in collections internationally. Although a spinal artery collapse in 1988 left him severely paralyzed, he has continued to paint and produce work that remains sought after by museums and collectors. Close also creates photo portraits using a very large format camera.

Personal life

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Close worked in Bridgehampton, New York and Long Beach, New York.[3][4] He had two daughters with Leslie Rose.[5] They divorced in 2011.

Close married artist Sienna Shields in 2013.[6] They divorced before his death.

Close was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2015.[7] He died on August 19, 2021 in Oceanside, New York from congestive heart failure at the age of 81.[8][9]

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References

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  1. Hylton, Wil S. (July 13, 2016). "The Mysterious Metamorphosis of Chuck Close". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  2. Newhall, Edith (April 15, 1991). "Close to the Edge". New York Magazine. pp. 40–41..
  3. Helen A. Harrison (February 22, 2004), Following the Light, and Making Faces New York Times.
  4. "An Artist Finds the Perfect Red". 6 March 2014 – via Wall Street Journal.
  5. Wendy Goodman (May 28, 2007), Buy, Rip, Repeat. New York Magazine.
  6. NY Times. 13.07.2016. Wil S Hylton. The Mysterious Metamorphosis of Chuck Close
  7. "Chuck Close, artist known for photorealist portraits, dead at 81". NY Post. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  8. Johnson, Ken; Pogrebin, Robin (2021-08-19). "Chuck Close, Artist of Outsized Reality, Dies at 81". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  9. "Chuck Close, Photorealist with an Acute Eye for Detail, Is Dead at 81". Art News. Retrieved August 20, 2021.

Other websites

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