Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil drawing by Chuck Close. It dates from 1997 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
There’s a green collar visible below his chin, and the whole thing is mounted on a rough, textured board.
This is a close-up of a man’s face inside a square frame. He’s wearing glasses and has a beard and glasses. The background is plain, but the edges of the photo look torn or cut out. There’s a green collar visible below his chin, and the whole thing is mounted on a rough, textured board.
The title is handwritten at the top: *"Self-Portrait."* The artist’s name, *Chuck Close*, and the year *1997* are signed in the bottom corners. The face looks like it’s made from tiny squares or dots, almost like a puzzle.
Look up Chuck Close to see how he built portraits from grids.
Overview
Created in 1997, this work by Chuck Close combines a color instant photograph with a range of additional media, including ink, felt‑tip pen, graphite and oil paint, all adhered to a foam‑core support. The piece presents a close‑up view of a bearded, spectacled male face within a square format, the image’s edges appearing torn, and is signed by the artist with a handwritten title indicating it is a self‑portrait.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Close himself, rendered with his characteristic grid technique that fragments the likeness into a mosaic of tiny squares. This approach emphasizes both the precision of photographic detail and the constructed nature of representation, inviting viewers to consider the interplay between realism and abstraction in portraiture.
Technique & Style
Close employed a color Polaroid print as the base, mounting it on foamcore with pressure‑sensitive tape. Over this foundation he applied ink, felt‑tip pen, graphite and oil paint, reinforcing the grid pattern and enhancing contrast. The combination of photographic and hand‑drawn elements reflects his practice of integrating mechanical and manual processes.
History & Provenance
Following a 1988 spinal injury that left him paralyzed, Close adapted his artistic methods, shifting toward works that could be executed with limited mobility. This 1997 piece exemplifies that adaptation, continuing his exploration of portraiture through mixed media while maintaining his signature visual language.
Context
Close’s oeuvre is defined by large‑scale, photorealist portraits that often employ a grid system to deconstruct and reconstruct facial features. This work aligns with his broader investigation of how photographic technology and painterly techniques intersect, situating it within his post‑injury period of experimentation with varied materials.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Thomas Close (July 5, 1940 – August 19, 2021) was an American painter, visual artist, and photographer who made massive-scale photorealist and abstract portraits of himself and others.
