Fanny 1984

Chuck Close made this portrait, "Fannie" in 1984 using graphite on paper. It has a photographic realness, but you can see the artist’s hand in it. I imagine Chuck Close beginning with a grid. How does he know where to begin? I know how hard it is to start sometimes, and I can feel the pressure of beginning something new. Maybe he started with the eyes, mapping them out meticulously. This way of working must require so much focus. I see the way he's built up the tones, layer upon layer of graphite. He is not afraid to be patient! Each line, each mark, contributes to the whole. As a painter, I respond to that. His dedication to his craft is palpable. It reminds me of artists like Agnes Martin or Sol Lewitt, who also work with repetition and line, and whose work also rewards deep looking. There’s something about the imperfection of the handmade that keeps me coming back. We keep trying things, we learn from each other, and then something new emerges.