Chuck Close: Face Book

This substantive autobiography concentrates on the evolution of painter Close's massive portraits. In interview form, with children's questions written atop the pages ("How do you make your pictures look so real?"), Close describes his work with candor and insight ("Inspiration is for amateurs. Artists just show up and get to work"). He explains how he coped first with a global learning deficit ("I still add and subtract by using the spots on dominos"), then with a collapsed artery in adulthood that left him a quadriplegic ("I had to figure out some way to be able to get back to work and make some money"). Yet it's clear that he considers these setbacks of little significance compared to the shaping of his identity as an artist and the excitement of creating paintings. The high quality printing and lush colors of the reproductions make it easy for readers to share that excitement. A nifty mix-and-match section lets readers compare the methods used in 14 of the artist's self-portraits, but Close's examination of his own work provides more than enough gratification on its own. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)

Gr 4-8--Dyslexia, prosopagnosia (the inability to remember faces), and the collapse of a spinal artery that left him paralyzed from the chest down deeply affected Close's life. Here he describes how art helped him triumph over these difficulties. Labeled "dumb" at an early age due to his problem with reading and arithmetic, he was encouraged by his parents and teachers to pursue his interest in and obvious talent for art. The text is arranged by topics of questions asked by children who visited his studio. "Do you work from live models or photographs?" "How do you start a painting?" and "Why do you make so many self-portraits?" lead readers through explanations and examples of Close's art. The center of the book reveals how he uses a grid system of a face and, employing a variety of techniques, including oil paints, airbrush watercolors, etching, and woodcuts, re-creates the same face with a wide diversity of textures, colors, and impact. Excellent-quality reproductions of his paintings appear throughout. A readable and engaging look at a fascinating artist and his methods of working.--Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI