Since 1969, when Chuck Close first exhibited his series of black-and-white portrait heads, his paintings have fascinated the public. Working mostly from instant photographs, Close paints in a style that vacillates between representation and abstraction. His colossal heads, at first severe and confrontational, explode with painterly energy, mesmerizing the viewer with their mosaic-like surfaces. The film traces the artist’s evolution and follows Close into New York’s contemporary art community.

1998 / 57 min. / DVD / Color

© 1998 MUSE Film and Television / The Art Kaleidoscope Foundation