Talking About Art

Before beginning the Chuck Close lesson and activities, talking about the following areas provides a foundation for students to build their knowledge of art and Chuck Close. 

• Printmaking

Ask the class if they know about printmaking, and if they can think of different types. Describe some of the various methods of printmaking and ask the students to think about why an artist might choose to use this medium, as opposed to drawing, painting or photography. Discuss some ways that non-artists have used printmaking in the past and present, (books, newspapers, currency, photocopy machines, newspaper printing, computer printing, fingerprinting in law enforcement, etc.) and the difference between printmaking as a fine art and as a commercial medium.

• Portraiture

Talk about portraits. Why would someone choose to paint a portrait of someone, or even a portrait of themselves (a self-portrait)? Have students think about what an artist might want to include in a portrait, and if and when an artist might have to make the choice between faithful representation of a subject, or a more flattering representation (omitting certain things, emphasizing others, etc.)

• Chuck Close

  Chuck Close was born 1940 in Washington State and is renowned as one of America’s foremost artists. He has been exploring the art of printmaking as a part of his artistic inquiry for over 30 years. Chuck uses a grid to transfer his subject from a photograph to a painting or print. By breaking the larger image down into its smaller component parts, he is able to make decisions about the nature and properties of the various colors that he uses in his works. In his earlier works, Close was careful to hide the grid upon completion, but in his later pieces, the grid has become a visual element of the work itself, and is no longer simply for planning.