COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
CMA_.1996.15
AMICA Library Year:
2000
Object Type:
Prints
Creator Name:
Close, Chuck
Creator Nationality:
North American; American
Creator Role:
artist
Creator Dates/Places:
1940
Gender:
M
Creator Birth Place:
Monroe, WA 7/5/1940
Creator Name-CRT:
Chuck Close
Title:
Phil Spitbite
Title Type:
Primary
View:
Full View
Creation Date:
1995
Creation Start Date:
1995
Creation End Date:
1995
Materials and Techniques:
spitbite and aquatint with softground etching
Dimensions:
Sheet: 71.6cm x 51.2cm, Platemark: 47cm x 37.9cm
AMICA Contributor:
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location:
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number:
1996.15
Credit Line:
Dr. Gerard and Phyllis Seltzer Fund
Inscriptions:
lower left, in graphite: 59/60 ; signed, lower right, in graphite: C. Close 1995
Provenance:
purchased from (Pace Prints, New York)
Context:
Chuck Close is known for his monumental, photographic faces of people close to him, usually family and friends. The subject of this print is composer Philip Glass, a key figure in contemporary classical music. Close first painted Philip Glass in 1969 and since then has produced over ten different images of him, including this one. All of the Phil images---paintings, drawings, and prints made with a wide range of techniques---are based on the same photograph. Close usually begins with a grid pattern, a traditional transfer method, and then uses a labor intensive process to introduce a range of values into the grid. The resulting images usually read more clearly from a distance. In this example, Close created tone by using spitbite, a technique that allowed him to paint an acid mixture directly on the printing plate. The acid ate depressions into the metal, which were filled with ink. The surface of the plate was then wiped clean and printed. The final effect is similar to an ink wash.
Related Image Identifier Link:
CMA_.1996.15.tif
