Chuck Close: Life

by Christopher Finch

This is the first book to tell the inspiring story of near tragedy and ultimate triumph behind the dazzling work of one of today's most respected and best-loved artists. Chuck Close is one of the most acclaimed American artists to emerge since Andy Warhol. His larger-than-life portraits look out from the walls of museums and galleries around the globe. His virtuosity and variety of technique, combined with the ambition and accessibility of his chosen subject matter the portrait re-invented on a heroic scale has made him a great favorite with the public and has won him the respect of his peers. Chuck Close has achieved fame, yet his full story has never been told until now. Author Christopher Finch has known Close since the late 1960s when the artist was creating his first masterpieces in an unheated SoHo loft. Finch chronicles Close's childhood battles with illness and dyslexia and his rise to the pinnacle of the art world. At the age of 48 he was struck down by an occluded spinal artery that left him a partial quadriplegic. With extraordinary determination, Close overcame this potentially career-ending disability, not only learning to paint again but producing work of extraordinary richness that equals or surpasses his previous achievements. With style and authority, Finch reveals the human reality behind Close's visually eloquent but eternally silent portraits.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Art History

350 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2010

About the author

Christopher Finch was born in Guernsey in the British Channel Islands, and now lives in Los Angeles. He is an artist and a photographer who has had one person shows in New York and California, and he is the author of almost thirty non-fiction books including the best sellers Rainbow: the Stormy Life of Judy Garland, The Art of Walt Disney, Jim Henson: the Works, and Norman Rockwell's America. Recently he has embarked on a series of noir-inflected mystery novels set in New York in the late 1960s and featuring the private investigator Alex Novalis. The first of these, Good Girl, Bad Girl, is to be published by Thomas & Mercer in 2013. These books draw on his own experiences in the New York art world at a time when today's SoHo was an urban wilderness with rats frolicking in the gutters and artists eking out a living in barren loft spaces. He is married to Linda Rosenkrantz, an author and a co-founder of the website Nameberry.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good biography, but not exquisite writing. Chuck Close overcomes a lot, but I got a sense throughout the book that I would not be his friend.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chuck Close is one of my Favorite Artists! When I saw this book available on BARD, I Had to get it!!
What an excellent biography as well as an exploration of his artistic journey!! His Strength, resilience, and creativity are a wonder!!
Now I’m buying the kindle book so I can see the photos described on the audio!!
Go read it, he was an amazing human being.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Finch is an insider in the artist's life, able to elaborate on triumphs and hardships as few others could. The photographs add a lot to the story. Since Close specializes in portraits, it's nice to see the old family ones, with four generations of Closes. Also wonderful to read about Leslie's dedication and loyalty and the daughters' successes. The complex methods used in the artist's work is precisely explained, making it more understandable. Close was my watercolor teacher at UMass (1965) and I always thought the world of him and his talent. His teaching style was an art in itself.

[B Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew a little bit about Chuck Close the person, now I know his real history

An interesting story about an extremely talented artist. As an artist/painter myself it was a very entertaining and interesting read. If you love his artwork you should know the background. And you should also see his art in person some day. I was hooked the day I saw his pulp paper portrait of his daughter many years ago in Atlanta.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and readable account of Chuck Close's life and work. While this seems a bit of a vanity publication, and the author is a real fanboy, I still learned a lot about a man and an artist I thought I already knew. He remains a real inspiration to me.

[Donna Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not only the story of Chuck Close, but also of the evolution of art in America and especially New York. It is an inspiring look at the strength of the human spirit, and the importance of Art in our lives and communities.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really wonderful book about Close and his colleagues in the art world. Finch was the perfect author for the book, having caught onto Close early in his career and forging a personal relationship that spans decades.

[Jay Gabler · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Daily Planet review:
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/35854

[Ariella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got me a signed copy of this one (author and subject) so it's moving to the top of the list...

[David Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, insider look into Chuck Close's life and work. The writing was decent and Close's life is rife for a telling. I liked it.

[Leslie kuris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a great biography! Very informative about the man, art and process.