ART 100 Grossmont Cuyamaca Chuck Close Engaging the Viewer Reflection Paper

Background:

Contemporary artist Chuck Close is one of the most interesting and influential painters working today. Early on, Close was strongly influenced by the Abstract Expressionists Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. He even painted in an abstract style. Later, Close rejected Abstract Expressionism and, in an approach that might be considered photo-realist, painted a series of portraits that were monumental in size. Later yet, after a life-changing personal tragedy, Close again changed his approach to painting. Although he continued to paint portraits, he radically changed his painting process.

Assignment:

In this writing assignment, you will submit a 600-750 word “tiny” paper, in which you describe and analyze the painting process of contemporary painter Chuck Close and how he creates images that are optically engaging for the viewer. This format requires you to condense your ideas and focus only on those that are directly relevant to the topic.

Explain Close’s approach to painting, and how his process makes his paintings more engaging for the viewer. Be sure to include direct references to specific areas of Close’s paintings as you write your Reflection.

Address the following issues and support your ideas:

1. When Chuck Close states that his painting “transcends its physical reality,” he means that the whole painting is greater than the sum of its parts. Describe the experience of seeing one of Close’s paintings up close versus seeing it from a distance.
2. Although Chuck Close paints portraits based on photographs, the finished paintings do not merely look like large photographs. Briefly describe Chuck Close’s process of painting an image, and how the surfaces of his painting differ from that of a photograph.
3. People today generally don’t have optical experiences because most of their visual experiences passively occur while watching commercial media. Explain how Close’s process of painting results in images that provide more engaging optical experiences for the viewer.

Video about contemporary painter Chuck Close:

Video should help, answer the issues stated above.