Synopses & Reviews
This fascinating, interactive autobiography presents Chuck Closeand#8217;s story, his art, and a discussion of the many processes he uses in the studio. The question-and-answer format is based on real kidsand#8217; inquiries about Closeand#8217;s life and work, and his answers to them. Close, who is wheelchair-bound and paints with a brush strapped to his arm, discusses the severe dyslexia and face blindness he has struggled with since childhood, as well as a collapsed spinal artery that left him nearly paralyzed at the age of 48.
An engaging feature of the book is a mix-and-match Chuck Close self-portrait section. This hands-on component encourages the reader to create new and interesting combinations of Closeand#8217;s techniques and images. The book also includes an illustrated chronology of Closeand#8217;s life, a list of museums where his work can be seen, and an index.
Praise for Chuck Close: Face Book
STARRED REVIEW
"Art lovers of all ages will revel in this vivid, wonderfully affecting book, which is almost as ingenious and memorable as Close himself."
and#150;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
STARRED REVIEW
"Close describes his work with candor and insight. The high quality printing and lush colors of the reproductions make it easy for readers to share that excitement. A nifty mix-and-match section lets readers compare the methods used in 14 of the artistand#8217;s self-portraits."
and#150;Publishers Weekly, starred review
STARRED REVIEW
and#147;Excellent-quality reproductions of his paintings appear throughout. A readable and engaging look at a fascinating artist and his methods of working.and#8221;
and#150;School Library Journal, starred review
"Chuck Closeand#8217;s art and life story are the ideal way to introduce art and artists to children."
and#150;Horn Book
"A winner. Chuck Close's honest, personal memoir about his life and work makes an ideal book for kids who find school challenging, who are creative or who see the world a bit differently from their peers. In other words, this one's for most everyone."
and#150;Shelf Awareness
Awards:
WINNER - 2012 Boston Globe Horn Book Nonfiction Award
New York Public Libraryand#8217;s Children's Books 2012: 100 Books for Reading and Sharing list
Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2012 list: Children's Nonfiction
Capitol Choices 2013 - Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens
Orbis Pictus Recommended Book 2013
Cooperative Childrenand#8217;s Book Center (CCBC) Choices 2013 list - The Arts
2013 ALA/ALSC Notable Book
and#160;
Review
a JLG selection
Review
a JLG selection
andquot;An ingenuous way to present the two artists to a young adult reader.andquot;
andmdash;The New York Times
* andquot;A handsome biography that is both engaging and enlightening.andquot;
andmdash;Booklist, starred review
* andquot;Compelling reading for art lovers.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred review
* andquot;A well-rounded treatment of two giants of 20th-century art, this volume tracks the separate and combined trajectories of its subjectsandrsquo; lives and careers and allows for comparisons and contrasts.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal, starred review
and#160;
andquot;Reef tackles the unconventional love story head-on, with a candor that pulls no punches with its youth audience.andquot;
andmdash;Bulletinand#160;
and#160;
Synopsis
A celebrated, popular and influential figure in American art, Chuck Close has focused exclusively, and with great innovation, on the genre of portraiture. This exhibition, co-organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, explores the artist's work in self-portraiture over four decades and across a variety of media, including painting, drawing, photography, collage, and printmaking. The first comprehensive museum survey of Close's self-portraits, the exhibition and its accompanying publication offer a fascinating glimpse of an artist's self-examination and evolution over time and elucidate his unbounded, process-driven experimentation with media and techniques. Working with the seemingly narrow subject of his own face, Close has produced a richly varied trove that ranges from intimately scaled collage maquettes and fingerprint drawings to monumental gridded canvases; from the sharp definition of certain photographic techniques to the ghostly blurs of daguerreotypes and holograms; from the tactile complexity of paper pulp editions to the smooth, mechanical surfaces of Polaroids and digital ink-jet prints; from the subtle tonalities of gray-scale paintings and drawings to the exuberance of an 111-color screenprint. When Close unleashes his imagination on his own visage, this familiar figure is at his most revealing.
Synopsis
A lushly designedand#160;young adult biography exploring the tumultuous lives, marriage, and work of the artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, illustrated with archival photos andand#160;full-color reproductions.
Synopsis
Nontraditional, controversial, rebellious, and politically volatile, the Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are remembered for their provocative paintings as well as for their deep love for each other. Their marriage was one of the most tumultuous and infamous in historyand#8212;filled with passion, pain, betrayal, revolution, and, above all, art that helped define the twentieth century.
Catherine Reef's inspiring and insightful dual biography features numerous archival photos and full-color reproductions of both artists' work. Endnotes, bibliography, timeline.
About the Author
Catherine Reef is the author of more than 35 nonfiction books for young people. Her books for Clarion include the highly acclaimedandnbsp;John Steinbeckandnbsp;andandnbsp;Sigmundandnbsp;Freudandnbsp;which was the recipient of the 2002 Sydney Taylor Award, presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries. She lives in College Park, Maryland.