The Portraits Speak

The Chuck Close portrait -- larger than life, deceptively straight forward -- has long been a staple of modern art's iconography. Close's work, which is often of friends and fellow artists, has been the source of many monographs and numerous prominent exhibitions. Until now, however, few have known that the painter has been documenting his subjects' words, and not just their faces. This book, which contains conversations between Close and many of the best known artists of our time, adds another dimension to the portraits for which Close is known, and is an important and intriguing document in its own right. Featuring interviews with Eric Fischl, Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith, William Wegman, Phillip Glass, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Serra, and many others, this candid and revelatory book is essential reading -- an insider's guide -- to the last thirty years of art. It offers photographs of Close in conversation with his subjects, and has an introduction by art critic Dave Hickey.