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EPISODE · Mar 20, 2026 · 8 MIN

Chuck Close

from Who Arted: Weekly Art History for All Ages · host Kyle Wood

Chuck Close said when a problem seems overwhelming, you should break it down into smaller pieces. To tackle the photorealistic faces, Chuck Close would use a grid. He broke the image down into sections allowing him to focus on the lines, shapes, and proportions one little bit at a time. In his early works, he would erase the grid as he painted, but as he matured, he chose to lean into the grid. He not only left it visible, but in many works he emphasized it making the paintings appear almost pixilated as the viewers see every square he plotted. As a child, he wanted to be a magician, but couldn’t resist revealing how the tricks were done. For him, it was more impressive when you see the work that produces the magic, and I gotta say I agree. Check out my other podcasts  Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 20, 2026

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Chuck Close

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