Chuck close : self-portrait 1997

Chuck Close : Self-portrait (1997)

Charles Thomas "Chuck" Close is an American painter and photographer born in Monroe, Washington, on July 5, 1940.

It is one of the main representatives of the hyperrealistic current.

He’s been experimenting with pixelation for some time. The portrait is reproduced square after square so that the surfaces appear as a pixelated screen

Chuck Close’s working method is quite remarkable. Unlike most artists he only engages with the image close up and does not move back to view the work from a distance. This means that he not only places complete trust in his technique but that he also possesses an extraordinary understanding of the effects of color.

When he starts painting a portrait, he applies a background color to each section of the grid. It then begins to fill each section with four or five freely painted outlines of different colored shapes. Then he paints simple shapes like squares, triangles, etc. Each small section becomes an abstract color study whose shades merge optically to create a 'visual accord'. Years of experience have taught him how this chord will look remotely and how it will combine with opposite sections to form the tones and colors of the head.

He use the grid technique to reproduce his photo in large. Previously squared, the portrait is reproduced square after square to obtain gigantic and incredibly detailed images.

He then fills his “cells” with dots, squares, abstract geometric shapes resembling lozenges or coloured rings.

Personally through this work I feel confusion because when I concentrate on only one part of the picture I can no longer see the face well. But I also feel admiration given that it takes a lot of talent to succeed in making this kind of work. that’s why I like this work.

The self-portrait of John Singer was made with neutral and cold colors unlike the self-portrait of Chuck cClose where the colors are more vivid. John Singer’s work is realistic or Chuck Close’s is pixelated. The work of John Singer is made from far away contrary to the work of Chuck Close which is made from close.