The faces, looming larger-than-life, often staring straight at you, are unguardedly and unglamorously human. They seem so real that you can sense the rumble of the person’s thoughts. Yes, the paintings and photographs of renowned New York artist Chuck Close, 76, can take some getting used to. When you view a photograph, it’s as if you’re staring back at it, and deep into a person that you suddenly know all too well.
Close has photographed, painted, woven, and imaginatively reinterpreted many times, a core set of almost wall-size portraits. The colorful pixelated painting versions are the most ravishing – and yield a series of different visions as you walk toward and away from them. But though Close can border on the abstract, the strong gaze of his subjects bores through. The subjects (including himself) have almost blank expressions and don’t overtly show emotion. They seem unposed, and somehow objective.

At the March 4 PAMM Art of the Party gala in Miami, which honored the artist, Close answered a few questions for L’Etage Magazine that I’ve long wondered about.


When you’re doing a portrait, do you consciously try not to “editorialize” about the person who is the subject of your work?

Chuck Close: I try to be rather neutral and flat footed but I’m sure there’s some editorial work in there somewhere. I don’t flatter anybody but I also don’t try to make them look worse.  No matter how much they hate it when I do it, ten or 15 years later they think they look pretty good.

 

Even in your portraits of well-known people, such as Kate Moss and Justin Timberlake, we see an unfamiliar side of them. How do you work with models to achieve this?

Chuck Close:  I don’t let them put on makeup and I don’t do photoshop. There’s something kind of wonderful about people before they try to improve themselves. There’s a certain kind of honesty to it. When I apologized to Kate Moss she said: “oh its ok I’ve had a million pretty photos taken.” (Laughs)

 

You’ve said your favorite painter is Johannes Vermeer. His faces also often have enigmatic expressions. Can you talk about how he has influenced you?

Chuck Close – I think I can figure out how any painting in the history of the world was made except for Vermeer’s. (His paintings) are like an apparition. Just magical. It’s the fact that they’re so special that impresses me. I never care about the story. I’m a formalist. I don’t care who the letter (in Vermeer’s “Woman in Blue Reading a Letter”) is from. It’s like he paints blue on the canvas in a divine breath.

About The Author

Award-winning writer and editor Ronni Sandroff is a contributing editor to L’Etage Magazine.

Related Posts

187 Responses

  1. Melanie

    Hi, I read your blogs on a regular basis.
    Your humoristic style is awesome, keep it up!

  2. Google

    Google

    The information and facts mentioned inside the report are some of the most effective out there.

  3. ثقة

    ثقة

    […]check below, are some entirely unrelated sites to ours, on the other hand, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]

  4. حلوه

    حلوه

    […]Every once inside a when we choose blogs that we study. Listed below would be the newest web pages that we pick out […]

  5. Amsterdam escorts

    Amsterdam escorts

    […]check beneath, are some absolutely unrelated internet sites to ours, nonetheless, they’re most trustworthy sources that we use[…]

  6. Kratom near me

    Kratom near me

    […]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a handful of unrelated data, nonetheless genuinely really worth taking a look, whoa did one particular master about Mid East has got far more problerms too […]

  7. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]that could be the end of this report. Here you will uncover some web pages that we feel you will enjoy, just click the links over[…]

  8. RoyalCBD.com

    RoyalCBD.com

    […]always a significant fan of linking to bloggers that I enjoy but do not get quite a bit of link adore from[…]

  13. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]please pay a visit to the web-sites we follow, such as this 1, because it represents our picks from the web[…]

  14. RoyalCBD.com

    RoyalCBD.com

    […]Every the moment in a while we pick blogs that we read. Listed below would be the most recent internet sites that we pick out […]

  16. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated data, nevertheless truly worth taking a look, whoa did 1 master about Mid East has got additional problerms also […]

  17. RoyalCBD.com

    RoyalCBD.com

    […]always a large fan of linking to bloggers that I really like but really don’t get quite a bit of link appreciate from[…]

  19. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]the time to study or visit the material or web pages we have linked to below the[…]

  25. cbd virginia

    cbd virginia

    […]check below, are some completely unrelated web sites to ours, nevertheless, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[…]

  28. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]here are some links to internet sites that we link to since we think they are worth visiting[…]

  29. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]we prefer to honor many other web internet sites around the web, even when they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Beneath are some webpages really worth checking out[…]

  30. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]please visit the websites we follow, including this 1, because it represents our picks from the web[…]

  31. texas

    texas

    […]Here is a good Blog You might Uncover Intriguing that we Encourage You[…]

  34. is cbd legal in rhode island

    is cbd legal in rhode island

    […]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a handful of unrelated information, nonetheless definitely worth taking a search, whoa did one particular study about Mid East has got much more problerms as well […]

  37. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]we like to honor quite a few other world-wide-web web-sites on the internet, even though they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages worth checking out[…]

  38. new hampshire

    new hampshire

    […]very handful of web-sites that take place to become detailed below, from our point of view are undoubtedly effectively really worth checking out[…]

  39. new jersey

    new jersey

    […]please visit the websites we follow, which includes this a single, as it represents our picks in the web[…]

  40. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]very couple of sites that happen to become comprehensive beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly effectively worth checking out[…]

  42. RoyalCBD.com

    RoyalCBD.com

    […]that would be the end of this write-up. Here you’ll obtain some web-sites that we think you will appreciate, just click the links over[…]

  44. is cbd legal in michigan

    is cbd legal in michigan

    […]we like to honor lots of other internet websites around the web, even when they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out[…]

  46. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]usually posts some incredibly intriguing stuff like this. If you’re new to this site[…]

  47. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]we came across a cool site that you may possibly love. Take a look in case you want[…]

  48. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]very few sites that happen to become detailed below, from our point of view are undoubtedly nicely worth checking out[…]

  51. cbd oil illinois

    cbd oil illinois

    […]check below, are some absolutely unrelated internet websites to ours, even so, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[…]

  52. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]although sites we backlink to below are considerably not related to ours, we really feel they may be in fact really worth a go by means of, so have a look[…]

  56. cbd arkansas

    cbd arkansas

    […]here are some links to internet sites that we link to because we believe they may be worth visiting[…]

  58. arizona

    arizona

    […]Here is a superb Weblog You may Uncover Interesting that we Encourage You[…]

  60. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]Every once inside a though we choose blogs that we read. Listed below are the latest web sites that we select […]

  61. cbd alaska

    cbd alaska

    […]Every after in a though we select blogs that we read. Listed beneath are the latest sites that we select […]

  64. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]that could be the finish of this article. Here you will find some web pages that we believe you will value, just click the hyperlinks over[…]

  67. how long does cbd oil last

    how long does cbd oil last

    […]although sites we backlink to below are considerably not related to ours, we really feel they are in fact worth a go as a result of, so have a look[…]

  68. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]that could be the finish of this article. Here you’ll come across some web-sites that we think you will enjoy, just click the links over[…]

  69. Royal CBD

    Royal CBD

    […]that could be the finish of this article. Here you’ll locate some websites that we feel you’ll enjoy, just click the links over[…]

  70. RoyalCBD.com

    RoyalCBD.com

    […]Every as soon as in a although we decide on blogs that we study. Listed beneath are the newest sites that we opt for […]

  71. RoyalCBD.com

    RoyalCBD.com

    […]Every the moment inside a even though we pick out blogs that we read. Listed beneath are the most recent web pages that we select […]

  72. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]the time to read or go to the content material or web sites we have linked to below the[…]

  73. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]just beneath, are several absolutely not connected websites to ours, having said that, they’re certainly worth going over[…]

  74. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]please visit the websites we stick to, which includes this a single, as it represents our picks in the web[…]

  75. RoyalCBD

    RoyalCBD

    […]the time to read or pay a visit to the subject material or web pages we have linked to below the[…]

  76. RoyalCBD.com

    RoyalCBD.com

    […]Every the moment inside a when we pick out blogs that we read. Listed beneath are the most recent web-sites that we pick out […]

  77. states marijuana laws map

    states marijuana laws map

    […]although websites we backlink to beneath are considerably not connected to ours, we feel they’re really really worth a go by, so possess a look[…]

  79. CBD gummies for pain

    CBD gummies for pain

    […]we like to honor lots of other world-wide-web internet sites around the net, even when they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Beneath are some webpages worth checking out[…]

  82. اغاني

    اغاني

    […]below you will obtain the link to some web sites that we consider it is best to visit[…]

  83. lesbian porn

    lesbian porn

    […]that may be the end of this report. Here you’ll discover some web sites that we think you will appreciate, just click the links over[…]

  84. MILF

    MILF

    […]Here are a number of the internet sites we advocate for our visitors[…]

  87. MALWAREBYTES BROWSER GUARD

    MALWAREBYTES BROWSER GUARD

    […]although sites we backlink to beneath are considerably not connected to ours, we feel they are truly worth a go as a result of, so possess a look[…]

  88. Skyline Properties

    Skyline Properties

    […]we prefer to honor quite a few other net web pages on the web, even if they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Underneath are some webpages really worth checking out[…]

  91. apps download for windows 7

    apps download for windows 7

    […]that may be the finish of this report. Here you’ll come across some sites that we assume you will enjoy, just click the links over[…]

  95. Fakaza mp3

    Fakaza mp3

    […]please go to the web-sites we stick to, including this one, as it represents our picks from the web[…]

  96. Escort amsterdam

    Escort amsterdam

    […]just beneath, are several totally not connected web-sites to ours, having said that, they may be surely worth going over[…]

  98. Business Coach

    Business Coach

    […]Every once inside a even though we decide on blogs that we study. Listed beneath would be the most recent web sites that we pick […]

  99. anvelope chisinau

    anvelope chisinau

    […]that could be the finish of this post. Here you’ll uncover some web sites that we think you will appreciate, just click the links over[…]

  100. options trading

    options trading

    […]the time to study or pay a visit to the content or internet sites we’ve linked to beneath the[…]

  101. Online Impacts

    Online Impacts

    […]check below, are some absolutely unrelated internet websites to ours, however, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]

  103. affiliate link

    affiliate link

    […]check beneath, are some entirely unrelated web-sites to ours, having said that, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]

  105. 30 days free trial semrush

    30 days free trial semrush

    […]that could be the finish of this post. Right here you will find some websites that we assume you will appreciate, just click the hyperlinks over[…]

  111. Laptop hilfe

    Laptop hilfe

    […]just beneath, are various entirely not associated web pages to ours, however, they are certainly really worth going over[…]

  112. Group Health Insurance Chicago

    Group Health Insurance Chicago

    […]although web sites we backlink to beneath are considerably not connected to ours, we feel they’re truly really worth a go by means of, so possess a look[…]

  113. gamer

    gamer

    […]we came across a cool website that you simply may appreciate. Take a appear should you want[…]

  116. BIKES

    BIKES

    […]here are some hyperlinks to internet sites that we link to mainly because we assume they’re really worth visiting[…]

  121. samoyed puppies

    samoyed puppies

    […]here are some hyperlinks to websites that we link to for the reason that we think they’re really worth visiting[…]

  123. Buy ketamine Online

    Buy ketamine Online

    […]although web sites we backlink to below are considerably not related to ours, we feel they are in fact worth a go by way of, so have a look[…]

  127. STUDENT VISA AUSTRALIA

    STUDENT VISA AUSTRALIA

    […]we like to honor many other internet web-sites around the net, even when they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out[…]

  128. windows apps free download for pc

    windows apps free download for pc

    […]we like to honor quite a few other web websites around the net, even though they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out[…]

  129. free download for windows 7

    free download for windows 7

    […]although web-sites we backlink to beneath are considerably not associated to ours, we really feel they’re essentially worth a go through, so have a look[…]

  132. Employee health insurance plans

    Employee health insurance plans

    […]we prefer to honor many other net internet sites on the internet, even when they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Underneath are some webpages worth checking out[…]

  135. Thai A Asia

    Thai A Asia

    […]here are some hyperlinks to web pages that we link to simply because we feel they are worth visiting[…]

  138. talisman

    talisman

    […]although web sites we backlink to beneath are considerably not connected to ours, we feel they’re in fact really worth a go by, so have a look[…]

  142. gamdom

    gamdom

    […]The info talked about within the post are a number of the most effective available […]

  144. bitsler

    bitsler

    […]just beneath, are several absolutely not related internet sites to ours, however, they may be surely really worth going over[…]

  145. stake bitcoins

    stake bitcoins

    […]always a massive fan of linking to bloggers that I appreciate but don’t get a good deal of link like from[…]

  146. wolfbet

    wolfbet

    […]very few web sites that happen to become comprehensive beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly properly worth checking out[…]

  148. job

    job

    […]although sites we backlink to beneath are considerably not related to ours, we really feel they may be basically worth a go as a result of, so have a look[…]

  149. Loans

    Loans

    […]below you will locate the link to some web-sites that we assume it is best to visit[…]

  150. Visa

    Visa

    […]here are some links to internet sites that we link to due to the fact we consider they’re really worth visiting[…]

  156. colorado seo agency

    colorado seo agency

    […]although internet websites we backlink to below are considerably not associated to ours, we really feel they are essentially really worth a go by means of, so have a look[…]

  157. اغانى شعبى

    اغانى شعبى

    […]here are some links to internet sites that we link to mainly because we assume they are really worth visiting[…]

  158. reno bartenders

    reno bartenders

    […]just beneath, are a lot of entirely not related web sites to ours, on the other hand, they may be surely really worth going over[…]

  159. christian business

    christian business

    […]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated data, nevertheless really worth taking a search, whoa did one discover about Mid East has got additional problerms at the same time […]

  162. Turkey plastic surgery

    Turkey plastic surgery

    […]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a couple of unrelated data, nevertheless seriously worth taking a look, whoa did one particular find out about Mid East has got much more problerms as well […]

  163. exchange crypto

    exchange crypto

    […]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a number of unrelated information, nevertheless definitely really worth taking a look, whoa did a single master about Mid East has got more problerms at the same time […]

  172. find builders

    find builders

    […]we like to honor numerous other net web-sites on the web, even if they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Underneath are some webpages really worth checking out[…]

  173. bullet vibe

    bullet vibe

    […]Every the moment inside a whilst we opt for blogs that we study. Listed beneath are the most up-to-date sites that we pick […]

  174. dinh cu canada

    dinh cu canada

    […]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine several unrelated information, nonetheless definitely worth taking a search, whoa did a single discover about Mid East has got extra problerms as well […]

  176. ucuz uçak bileti

    ucuz uçak bileti

    […]that could be the finish of this report. Here you will find some web sites that we consider you will value, just click the links over[…]

  177. hat macca

    hat macca

    […]that is the finish of this write-up. Here you’ll obtain some web-sites that we think you will value, just click the hyperlinks over[…]

  178. hat macca tay nguyen

    hat macca tay nguyen

    […]Every after inside a while we pick blogs that we read. Listed below would be the most up-to-date web sites that we select […]

  180. sweetiehouse

    sweetiehouse

    […]just beneath, are a lot of absolutely not associated websites to ours, having said that, they are certainly worth going over[…]

  181. giayu2

    giayu2

    […]Every once in a though we pick blogs that we study. Listed beneath would be the most recent web pages that we select […]

  184. blogcaodep.com

    blogcaodep.com

    […]we came across a cool web site that you may well take pleasure in. Take a search should you want[…]

  186. tabakvervanger

    tabakvervanger

    […]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated data, nevertheless truly worth taking a appear, whoa did one particular understand about Mid East has got far more problerms as well […]

  187. electronic

    electronic

    […]usually posts some incredibly fascinating stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]