The ingenious, monumental art of American painter Chuck Close rivals photography in detail, clarity and realism. Close works from photographic stills to create enormous, astoundingly lifelike portraits. In 1988, Close was catastrophically stricken with a collapsed spinal artery, which caused almost complete paralysis. After months of rehabilitation, Close regained partial mobility in his right arm, and was able to resume painting with a brush strapped to his fingers. Uniquely overlaying a photo with a grid, Close meticulously fills in each cell with tiny orbs of color that materialize into a startlingly realistic image when viewed from a distance.

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