From Library Journal
The recent retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art and the accompanying catalog (LJ 5/1/98) offered an occasion for viewers to immerse themselves in the rich variances of Chuck Close's style, which evolved even while he stuck with a single subject, large-scale portraits of faces. But even a careful review of these works does not reveal one key facet?Close only paints his good friends. Many of his subjects can trace a relationship through decades back to school days at Yale, and most are artists themselves. This latest in a series of artist-conceived books from A.R.T. Press not only outlines the course of 27 such friendships but brings together in a single volume many of the most important artists of a generation, e.g., Nancy Graves, Richard Serra, Alex Katz, William Wegman, Richard Artschwager, and Roy Lichtenstein. What makes this work so important is that though both interviewer and subject frequently provide important insights into their practices and the bases for their art, they remain as accessible as a couple friends sitting around having coffee. Interspersed throughout the book are candid photographs of and examples of works by all the artists. For all contemporary art collections.?Eric Bryant, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Chuck Close's frighteningly intimate, deceptively straightforward portraits have become an indelible part of American art iconography. In The Portraits Speak, Close applies his close-range approach to interviews with artists he has painted over the years, including Kiki Smith, Philip Glass, William Wegman, Cindy Sherman. Each word portrait offers another candid glimpse into the minds of three generations of American artists and the world of contemporary art, giving an insider's view of the creative process. Dimension: 8¾ x 12¾, b&w reproductions.
