Close, who had a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1973, was known for using a grid structure for the representation of an image in nearly all of his works.
Chuck Close, a painter, photographer & printmaker best known for his monumental grid portraits & photo-based portraits of family & famous friends, has died. He was 81 years old.
His attorney, John Silberman, said Close died Thursday at a hospital in Oceanside, New York. He did not specify the cause of death.
Close, whose professional highlights include a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1973, was known for using grid structure to represent an image in almost all of his works, which he said helped Helped them break the face. In "Incremental Units".
Time-consuming & labor intensive, he produced a multitude of paintings that dissected the human faces of luminaries such as President Bill Clinton, composer Philip Glass & the artist himself.
His works have been displayed in museums, galleries, & even in the New York City subway.
In 2017, Close faced sexual harassment allegations from some women who said he made inappropriate sexual comments when they visited his studio to potentially model for him in earlier years.
He told The New York Times that he had spoken to the women about their bodies & evaluated them as models, & apologized for any inconvenience.
Close, who was diagnosed with dementia-related conditions in 2013, also had severe mobility issues in 1988 after a spinal artery collapse that required him to use a wheelchair.
In Klose's work, "pixilated" drawings are "filled with small abstract colored figures, individual brushstrokes or even the artist's fingerprints. When viewed from afar, the individual marks are wonderfully stunning. "Familiar Faces: Chuck Close in the Ohio Collection," said the Akron Art Museum in Ohio, describing Close's paintings & prints for an exhibit.
Born in Monroe, Wisconsin, Close graduated from the University of Washington, Seattle, & received an MFA from Yale University.
He was married twice, divorced & has two daughters.