A dynamic-in-every-way introduction to the life and work of artist Chuck Close features Close responding to questions asked by children, beginning with “How did you get to be such a great artist?” Close talks about being severely learning disabled as a child, at a time when little was known about learning disabilities. But he could draw, and art became his salvation. Known best for his huge, wall-sized portraits, including many self-portraits, Close gives readers insight into his choice of subjects, his painting technique, and the impact of what he calls the “Event”—the collapse of a blood vessel in his spine that has left him paralyzed from the chest down since 1988. A wonderful balance of text and photographs, the book’s centerpiece is a dazzling display of fourteen of Close’s self-portraits using different media. Twelve of them have been divided into triptychs, so that readers can flip back and forth, combining perfectly matched sections into a portrait comprised of three different paintings. An engaging visual timeline, source material for more information, and a glossary of artists’ terms complete this wholly unique work. (Age 8 and older)

The most comprehensive assessment of Chuck Close's work yet published, this volume accompanied a mid-career retrospective exhibition that opened at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, on February 25, 1998. A leading figure in the New York art world since the early 1970s, Close has recently concentrated on portraits of his artist friends and colleagues, characterized by colorful patterning and vivid brushwork. Subjects include Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Alex Katz, Kiki Smith, Lucas Samaras and Lorna Simpson. Here, more than 90 paintings, prints, drawings and photographs are reproduced, along with details and comparative illustrations.