Chuck Close: Up Close

by Jan Greenberg, Sarah Jane Jordan

Illustrates the life and struggles of American artist Chuck Close, who overcame learning disabilities as a child and fought paralysis as an adult to become a celebrated portrait painter with works appearing at New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 1998

About the author

Jan Greenberg is an award-winning author celebrated for her books about art and artists. Her collaborations with Sandra Jordan include Action Jackson and Christo and Jean-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond, both honored for excellence in nonfiction. Vincent Van Gogh, Portrait of an Artist earned a Sibert Honor and became a Common Core text exemplar. She later co-authored Ballet for Martha and The Mad Potter, each receiving starred reviews and Sibert Honors. In 2013, she and Jordan received the Children’s Book Guild Award. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

Reviews

[Gauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a children's picture book explaining the work of Chuck Close and his life. I have heard his name once or twice mentioned in popular culture, but did not really know who he was. Really, it's kind of difficult to know about people whose work was of the post-war era, since they are often not taught about in school. It's pretty interesting to learn about how Close developed his paintings - I wonder if these techniques (such as painting using a grid or painting like a printer would, using blue, red, and yellow paint) were developed by him. Either way, I appreciate that his methods of painting are very creative in addition to the nature of his portraits. I also appreciate the fact that he always focused on challenges and self-improvement.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Honestly, this book was another deciding factor in my becoming a children's librarian. And, I often think, "if only there had been books like this when I was a kid!"

In picture book format, Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan (who have numerous other phenomenal art books for kids) introduce the reader to artist Chuck Close. It's a fabulous venue for exploring an artist's world and the meaning of portraiture. One of the first works in the book is the artist's ginormous 7x9 foot photo-realistic self portrait. Besides being huge, it's defiant, and kinda grotesque, exposing every hair, freckle, wrinkle and pore, yet utterly fascinating. How does he make it look so real? Why paint your own face quite so BIG?

Besides just showing pictures of the artist's work, there are also photos of the artist at work in his studio. We learn that in 1988, after suffering paralysation from a rare spinal artery collapse and many long months of rehabilitation, Close was finally able to paint again. This resulted in a looser more abstract style, like the self-portrait close-up on the cover, made of many squares of multicolored circles, ovals and other shapes. Another very interesting method he has used is fingerpainting!

Simply a fabulous book for budding artists or anyone interested in art or how artists work.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cool, informative book by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan.

Yes, it's a kid's book, but a very cool kid's book.

If you'd like to learn a bit about famous painter Chuck Close, this is a great place to start. The authors interviewed the artist so a lot of the text is in his own words. The book includes many of Close's portraits as well as photographs of the artist at work. His reductive, disciplined process is really fascinating.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another picture book style artist biography of someone who's name I don't know. This art is a bit weird. But the story of the artist is worth knowing. The afterword is pitched a bit younger than I'd like but the text itself is not limited to school age. Instead it is an introduction to the artist as well as showing the range of what art is, and how at least one artist got through adversity. There was plenty of art reproduction to get a feel for the artist. This book was from an Interlibrary Loan courtesy of School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating reflects the general question that remained in my mind after reading this wonderful book, "Who was this book written for?" Written at a Jr. High level, this picture book was great but it far above the abilities of young children who might pick it up. And High School students will be turned off by the book's large font and children's picture book qualities. Despite those issues, this is an incredible book which I would recommend even to adults interested in learning about famous artists. Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan present a short biography of Chuck Close illustrated with photographs and his incredible artwork. His motivation and art philosophy are well presented. At the end of the book they provide a bibliography and museums where you can find his work. My only recommendation would be that they include a timeline of his life.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utter brilliance, too much amazing artistry to be confined to one book. I loved the middle portion of the book, the persistence and creativity of the artist, and the inspiration of creating art even after a devastating physical experience. Highly recommend for anyone who has a child 4th grade through high school interested in art. The question and answer section of the book was perfect and the one area of the book I raised my eyebrow at was so quickly and properly addressed I was quite impressed. Wow.

[Kandrea Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography picture book is a story of a boy struggling with learning disabilities in a time when they were not recognized then later a physical disability and how he overcame those struggles. Chuck Close became a very successful innovative artist, one who could not see three-dimensional but only things that were flat. To combat this disability he began drawing "heads" by taking a photograph similar to a mugshot letting that be his map. His style was a "concept of self-imposed rules that would form the basis of future work" and his "painting becomes a topographical map of a face."

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a kid I always hated that when it came to more complex art they never actually gave much insight on how I could do it. Instead, projects would be included that often did not challenge me enough. This book spoke to the young artist in me and gave me more of a clue of how I could do something like Chuck Close. I know I would have cherished this book as a child and I loved reading it even as an adult.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very short book, but what it has is gold. I read one of my favorite quotes ever in this book.

“I think problem solving is highly overrated. Problem creation is much more interesting. If you want to react personally, you have to move away from other people’s ideas. You have to back yourself into your own corner where no one else’s solutions apply and ask yourself to behave as an individual”. - Chuck Close

[Yasemin Kamisli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this biography. It's so easy to read and extremely inspiring. I find it so fascinating how Chuck Close is in a wheelchair and how hard he had to work out so hard so that his muscles would work again; just to get back to painting. His creativity is so unique and he definitely has a story to tell.
I can identify myself with him in many ways. The way he talks about his creativity is exactly how I would talk about mine. I also love all the pictures of his artwork in this book.

[Cristie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written for a Junior-High reading level. There's even a glossary of terms at the end. I didn't know that when I put it on hold at the library, but it was still pretty neat. A nice 20-minute read with big pictures. I propped the book up on my coffee table and looked at the pictures both up close and from a distance.

[Amy P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great images of his work in detail. Bio stuff was engaging and well-written. Young adults would like this book, too, because it's short, easy to identify with and the paintings are examined in a really different and unique way (just like the paintings themselves).

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gigantic. Smooth surface. Cool. Gray. Precise. Deadpan. Dazed. Quiet. Wordless. Every inch of the face is revealed. You can count the eyelashes. The pupils are larger than Ping-Pong balls.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only wish this book were longer! What a fascinating guy. Fascinating life. And truly remarkable artist. Cheers to Chuck Close!

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do I really need two Chuck Close books in my school library? When both are amazingly written and designed, yes!

[Paige Soule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting, well written book. Good lessons by just relating the artists life.

[Angela]

Its a great book!