Most of Close’s work is based on a grid as an underlying basis for the representation of an image. He is the grid master, and the basis for the unit plan I am writing up this week. Some of his work is currently on display at the VMFA, if you have a chance to check it out I highly recommend it!
Gridding is a simple but surprisingly versatile structure that provides the means for “a creative process that could be interrupted repeatedly without damaging the final product, in which the segmented structure was never intended to be disguised.” None of Close’s images are created digitally or photo-mechanically.
Close’s paintings are labor intensive and highly time consuming, and his prints are even more so. While a painting can occupy him for many months, it is not unusual for one print to take upward of two years to complete. Close has complete respect for, and trust in, the technical processes and the collaboration with master printers essential to the creation of his prints. The creative process is as important to Close as the finished product. “Process and collaboration” are two words that are required in any conversation about Close’s prints.
Chuck Close specializes in photorealism, but this genre of art does not define him. He is also very well known for his work with mosaic like paintings like the one's seen in the video clip below:
