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Self-Portrait

2000

American, 1940 - 2021

Chuck Close has been using his own image as a subject for his work since he made his breakthrough painting Big Self-Portrait in 1967-68. For three decades, he pursued the subject matter of "heads" (his term for these portraits) of himself and his artist friends. Starting with realistic, airbrushed, black-and-white paintings, he moved on to color. Close then began dividing the image into a grid and experimenting with making the figure-based works more abstract. Instead of conforming to the squares he now plays with a variety of organic or lyrical shapes. From a distance, these shapes converge to form a realistic face; up close they dissolve into an intricate, shimmering, abstract pattern.

120 color silkscreen

65 1/2 x 54 1/8 in. (166.4 x 137.5 cm)

Gift of Chuck Close in honor of Jon and Mary Shirley

2001.30

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, First Person Singular, May 31, 2001 - Mar. 17, 2002.

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