15
Jun
Chuck Close suffers from a disorder called Prosopagnosia which affects the way the brain sees faces and this prevents him from being able to recognize any faces he sees. Sufferers tend to focus on individual parts of the face instead of the whole thing and this affects the way the Close paints. Painting these huge detailed photo realistic portraits help him to remember and recognise the subjects who tend to be his friends and family. Close has said, “I was not conscious of making a decision to paint portraits because I have difficulty recognizing faces. That occurred to me twenty years after the fact when I looked at why I was still painting portraits, why that still had urgency for me. I began to realize that it has sustained me for so long because I have difficulty in recognizing faces.”
Fantastic art!
(Source: likeafieldmouse)
via lovesexandhumor