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Christopher Finch

Chuck Close: Life Hardcover – May 1, 2010

by Christopher Finch (Author)

4.6 95 ratings

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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.

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Print length

350 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Prestel
Publication date

May 1, 2010
Dimensions

7.28 x 1.38 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

3791336770
ISBN-13

978-3791336770
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95 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book insightful and interesting from a biographical perspective. They appreciate the vibrant artist's work and the vivid photo essays. The story is well-written and detailed, with an excellent content. Readers praise his courage and determination to make it through difficult times. The picture quality is amazing, with good quality pictures and method pictures.

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Insight Artist work Story quality Courage Picture quality

15 customers mention "Insight"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and interesting from a biographical perspective. They say it provides inspiration and courage with facts about Chuck Close's process. The book provides a survey of his entire career with beautiful illustrations and plenty of dialog about his process.

"...supplementing itself with beautiful illustrations and plenty of dialog about his process, do not hesitate to purchase this book." Read more

"...This fine biography, at the request, and with the full participation, of it's subject, and cooperation of his family, friends, fellow-members of the..." Read more

"...Throughout the book there are so many amazing facts that will make you stop for awhile and just reflect about the events you've just read... things..." Read more

"...It is an essential read on a most admirable man. This book is not only a biography but a snapshot into one of the greatest artists of our time...." Read more

14 customers mention "Artist work"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the artist's work. They find it vibrant and brilliant. The book provides insight into the artist's life and art world. It is a good resource for artists and students.

"...only one of the greatest artists in the United States he is a incredible person...." Read more

"...fascinating to have an inside look at other artists and how the art world operated..." Read more

"Among the most respected American artists of his generation, a member in good standing of the New York City cultural elite, honored by exhibitions..." Read more

"...The latest book, Chuck Close: Life by Christopher Finch is an astonishing and inspirational book about his detailed life - how a major, successful,..." Read more

14 customers mention "Story quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the story well-written and engaging. They appreciate the detailed content and color photos, as well as the author's insights into his wife's struggles due to his illness. The book provides a comprehensive reference with helpful supporting text.

"...He never gave up and went on to paint better than ever. His life is magical and so is his work...." Read more

"...He is a fine writer, he just likes to use fancy, and perhaps somewhat-unnecessary, language sometimes." Read more

"...be obscured in some out of print catalog, as well as talking heavily about his process...." Read more

"...The author is quite good at suggesting the travails that his wife endured due to his illness, but only she can know the cost to her of the wracking..." Read more

7 customers mention "Courage"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's courage and true determination. They find the book well-written and praised for its sturdy binding and thick pages. Readers also mention the author is an excellent storyteller with strong character.

"...Th author is a super stoy teller and what a story to tell...." Read more

"...thing that I definitely noticed right away is that 'Life' is a very sturdy book--nice binding and big thick pages..." Read more

"...Not only to have made it through extremely hard times and continue to defy odds, he has created some of his best work in the process...." Read more

"...This book tell some the inspiring courage he exhibits with disease that work have stopped others from doing this work...." Read more

7 customers mention "Picture quality"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's picture quality. They like the photo essays and method pictures.

"...full Chuck Close biography while supplementing itself with beautiful illustrations and plenty of dialog about his process, do not hesitate to..." Read more

"...and technique but the reproductions of the paintings and various prints are gorgeous...." Read more

"...A great review of Close's career with very nice color photos and lots of supporting text...." Read more

"Love this book! Love his work, love the photoessays-- chuck's work is so vibrant and I love it-- I want to paint like that too...." Read more

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Patricia Mccarty
Amazing Mr. Close
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2011
Verified Purchase
Although I have not finished this book I am enjoying it thoroughly. Th author is a super stoy teller and what a story to tell. Chuck Close is not only one of the greatest artists in the United States he is a incredible person. His struggle with disabilities as a young person and then later his spinal stroke which left him wheel chair bound. He never gave up and went on to paint better than ever. His life is magical and so is his work. I was lucky enough to see a number of his work at San Francisco MOMA part of the Fisher Collection and it was fantastic. I had only seen photographs and the originals were breathtaking. The art world is so fortunate that Chuck Close never gave up the fight. Any one who is intrested in his work should own and read this book.

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Matthew K
Fascinating life
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2010
Verified Purchase
I first learned who Chuck Close was when he was on The Colbert Report back in August--that night I ordered both Chuck Close: Work and Chuck Close: Life. Now three months later I finally got time to read the book, and I am very pleased I ordered it. Not knowing anything about Chuck or the art world in general, it was incredibly fascinating to have an inside look at other artists and how the art world operated(both from Chuck's perspective as well as the author's, who was an 'art world insider').

As another reviewer as said, the author is a friend of Chuck's and I do agree that he is at times boasting about Chuck's ability, but I don't think this necessarily takes anything away from the book. And probably, had the author not been a good friend of Chuck's, the book wouldn't contain the immense amount of personal information that it does, which adds a lot to understanding Chuck.

There was also a comment about the images not being of the highest quality; this is true, but Chuck Close: Life is meant to be a companion to Chuck Close: Work; the works shown in 'Life' are meant simply to show the change in Chuck's technique over the years. If one is looking to gawk over his work for long periods of time and intently study the images, probably 'Work' is where you should look. Sadly, due to business and laziness, I still haven't removed the shrink wrap from Chuck Close: Work, so I can't comment on the quality of the images in that book. One thing that I definitely noticed right away is that 'Life' is a very sturdy book--nice binding and big thick pages (no doubt Chuck saw to it that the book would hold up)--and probably the lack of image quality comes from the absorbency of the paper and it's cream color.

I think the only negative comment I'd leave about Chuck Close: Life is that the author really isn't a very good writer. It almost became a game to spot words that the author seemed to have learned while writing different sections of the book, and he then decided to use that word as often as possible: 'tour de force' is used to describe like the first half dozen works Chuck creates after Big Nude; 'aplomb' is overused in the span of three or four pages to describe Chuck and his wife (and maybe other people--again, see: overused); and the case is the same with 'au courant' at the end of the book (because other people only need to be up to date on the art world once Chuck has become famous?).

Nevertheless, still 5 stars.

UPDATE: I was just reading through the reviews I'd written, and I should really take back what I said about the author being a bad writer. He is a fine writer, he just likes to use fancy, and perhaps somewhat-unnecessary, language sometimes.

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6 people found this helpful

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N. Bohac
Great capstone for a long (and continuing) career
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2008
Verified Purchase
This really does not need to be that long. I am a huge fan of Chuck Close and have been so for years now. My personal library reflects this, with four other books and catalogs spanning his career. These books get brought out on a semi-consistent basis, as they all have something important to say about this mans art.

"Chuck Close: WORK" is a definitive piece that fills in any small holes about the story of this artist that might be obscured in some out of print catalog, as well as talking heavily about his process. If you are in the market for a book that gives the full Chuck Close biography while supplementing itself with beautiful illustrations and plenty of dialog about his process, do not hesitate to purchase this book.

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13 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer
TRUE GRIT-
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2010
Verified Purchase
Among the most respected American artists of his generation, a member in good standing of the New York City cultural elite, honored by exhibitions throughout the world, recipient of many awards for his service to Art and to Humanity, Chuck Close has had it all....except his fair share of perceptual, neurological and immunological characteristics. This fine biography, at the request, and with the full participation, of it's subject, and cooperation of his family, friends, fellow-members of the art world, and consumers of his product, captures the human drama of a man imbued with a lust for achievement who surmounted minor as well as devastating barriers, to become an icon of personal survival in an often nightmarish experiential world. While there was the major shock of becoming a "partial paraplegic" in his late forties, it was daily coping with extraordinary incursions on independent living that has sunk many others into impenetrable despair, that required the courage and commitment that he possessed to a superior degree than most, in order for him to continue his professional successes and add to them other significant contributions. Without bathos the author retails the early challenges of dyslexia and neurological weaknesses as well as the later critical illnesses and the manner in which he coped and surmounted the difficulties. His family relationships are detailed with some suggestive hypotheses as to their impact on him without the tedious and tendentious speculation that so mars many other contemporary biographies. His mother and his wife were clearly dominant in their very different ways in influencing his personal adjustments, as were a number of named teachers, colleagues, and previous artists in his professional life. The author is quite good at suggesting the travails that his wife endured due to his illness, but only she can know the cost to her of the wracking anxieties and emotional stress that her role imposed upon her. The author, a long time friend, aptly sketches the technical nature of his artistic growth but defers here to the thorough treatment of Close's work in his earlier book devoted to that theme.
Overall, a biography that should be of considerable interest to the general reader to whom it is addressed as well as to those with greater involvement in the art world who will find valuable insight into one of their own.

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Ali
Very Good Quality
Reviewed in Turkey on September 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
Chuck Close's life is described in detail. It's pretty good quality.

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J. McDonald 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Chuck Close: Work.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2021
Verified Purchase
A huge, heavy and very serious hardback volume on one of the most fascinating American painters of our age; aside from his remarkable output, Close has produced a prodigious and impressive body of work despite suffering from prosopagnosia (face blindness) and in 1988 spinal paralysis.
The book contains over 300 illustrations many large in scale and in colour including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs and tapestries; this revised edition from 2010 has 13 new works not included in the original 2007 volume.
A very recommendable reference for anyone interested in Close, covering his early Photorealism to his more recent colourful, optically experimental work.

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Cliente Amazon
BEAUTIFUL
Reviewed in Italy on June 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
Bellissimo libro, si apprezza tutto il lavoro dell'artista nella sua totalità.
Il grande formato fa apprezzare i dettagli dei dipinti di Close e della sua ricerca.

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Ken Udle
If you're facing physical challenges, read this
Reviewed in Canada on May 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
Well written, honest, and enlightening. Required reading for any painter, photographer, artist. I would have liked to get the companion volume "Work" but didn't have the budget. If you're debating on the two, buy this one and check out the other from the library.

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Chris Anderson
Amazing book
Reviewed in Canada on February 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
Chuck Close is a powerful artist, the details are incredible.

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