Project 3 Chuck Close Review

A Portrait in Progress

In Chuck Closes’ documentary “A Portrait in Progress” it can clearly be seen how someone with a huge obstacle can still create some of the most magnificent works of art out there today.  Chuck was very little when he had a passion for painting and other works of art.

When Chuck was very young his family was not very wealthy and he didn’t always get nice gifts that he asked for, but his dad did his best to make him presents.  However, on his fifth Christmas Chucks father gave him his very first paint set, which was not of the best quality, but it still excited him greatly.  He was still beginning to paint and had not had lessons until one day when his father met an artist at a dinner.  The artist that he met began coming to chucks house to give him painting lessons quit often.  Chuck then began to make painting one of his main hobbies and had a passion for it.  When he was about twelve years old he had to face a dramatizing event, which might have changed his life forever.  Chucks father who he adored and loved was found on the floor with a gash in his head from falling resulting in his death.  This majorly affected his life, but the worst wasn’t over yet.

 Later on in Close’s life he married Leslie Close and they had children living a good life.  However, one tragic day Chuck Close had a major stroke leaving him paralyzed from the neck down with some exceptions, such as his arms.  This horrific event not only left Close physically paralyzed, but also mentally because he thought that his painting career was threw with.  But with some motivation and help from the hospital he found a new way for him to be able to paint.  Chuck’s family and friends helped him get through the hard times and even set up a art studio in the rehabilitation center to get him to start painting again.  He stated in the film that it was like trying to learn how to paint all over again.  He also says that he broke down many times thinking of giving up on his because it was so difficult to get back into the rhythm.  Eventually he became very good at painting with his disability and even created an arm brace to hold his paintbrush so he can get accurate strokes on his paintings.

 Now day’s chuck is still active with his artwork and with his style of art he takes a photograph of a subject person and cuts it into rows and columns making squares.  From there he starts painting on a 9-foot canvas using multiple colors for each square to create the image from far away.  He also likes to make portraits of fellow artists such as Mark Greenwold and Kiki Smith.  Chuck’s life is a good example of what can be accomplished when faced with huge dis-advantages.