1. Chuck Close

2. Early Life Started painting when he was 5
Had multiple learning disabilities & prosopagnosia (trouble recognizing faces)
Father died when he was 12

3. Early Career
Fine Arts degree from Yale even though told that he would never go to college
Uses Passport or Mug Shot type photos because they were the most true version of someone’s face.
Grid System used to enlarge his photos
PHOTOREALISM: paintings were so realistic, they looked like a photograph. (even though he hates it when people use that term)
Portraits of close friends, family, or of himself

6. The “Event”
“THE EVENT “: At 48, Chuck had a spinal artery collapse--left him partially paralyzed
Straps a paintbrush to a harness to paint
Images more pixilated style now

7. Chuck Close still uses the grid system:
But paints each box with bright colors & shapes

9. Paintings sell from $150,000- almost $5 million!

10. Current Work: Photography

11. Links to videos and interviews: