Chuck Close, a photographer and an artist known for painting photorealistic portraits, has died at the age of 81. His lawyer, John Silberman, announced on Thursday that he died in a hospital in Oceanside, N.Y.
Adriana Elgarresta, director of public relations at the Pace Gallery in New York, revealed in a statement that Close was diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia in 2015. The immediate cause of death was congestive heart failure.
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Close was known for painting oversized self-portraits of himself and friends that he knew during the 1970s and 1980s. His first painting (and probably his most iconic one) was a shot of himself in black and white with unwashed hair smoking a cigarette.
His famous brush technique included using an airbrush and diluted black paint.
Close had some turmoil in his life as he was hit with sexual harassment allegations from his female models. The claims arose in 2017 and his physician also claimed that his bad behavior could be attributed to his 2013 Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
When the allegations came to light, the National Gallery of Art in Washington canceled a show of his art. However, despite the news, many other museums around the world (including the National Gallery) continued to display paintings.
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Close was born in Monroe, Wash., on July 5, 1940. He once told Artnews magazine that he had a close relationship with his dad. His father was a plumber and inventor who “made me things — toys from scratch, whole bicycles from scratch.”
His father died when he was 11 and his mother supported his artistic endeavors. While he struggled in other classes because of undiagnosed dyslexia, art was his biggest passion.
Close was married to Leslie Rose in 1967 until their split in 2011.
