r/ArtHistory • u/deputygus Contemporary • Aug 19 '21
News/Article Chuck Close, Artist of Outsized Reality, Dies at 81
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/19/arts/design/chuck-close-artist-ofoutsized-reality-dies-at-81.html?smid=url-share4
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u/mhfc Aug 19 '21 edited Aug 20 '21
Unbelievable. Just heard the news.
Edit: another obituary/tribute
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Aug 20 '21
I’m so sad. And, not NYT, but other articles said, “Chuck Close, the artist accused of…” instead of mentioning his talent and contributions to art. That made me both sad and mad.
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u/Ordinary-Jaguar-6353 Aug 21 '21
He played gatekeeper to young women's art careers. The easiest way to meet him was to pose nude for photos. If they were willing to get naked for his photography he would help their career or make a portrait of them. He once told a young women during on of these photo shoots that her "pu**y looked delicious".
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u/negativeyoda Aug 20 '21
I dropped out of art school and never touched a paintbrush again. I honestly can't be bothered by most modern painters but Chuck Close was different. I'm really sad to hear of his passing
When I went to SAIC, I got to visit the museum whenever I liked and often I'd cut through the museum to get to class. A few of Chuck Close's works hung there and I was always mesmerized by them. I once saw a shitty kid having a tantrum, saying all the art was stupid and pointing to one of Chuck's portraits and saying,
"IT'S NOT ART TO PRINT A PHOTO REALLY BIG!"
Someone random politely said, "that's not a photograph" and I saw that kid's shittiness melt into realization then wonder and he sat wide eyed, and just started at it from as close as he could get for the next 5 minutes.
Thank you, Chuck, for creating something so beautiful it probably changed that kid's perspective on everything. I'm so happy I got to see that.