Chuck Close's 2009 PaceWildenstein Exhibition Reveals Visual Perception Investigations

From May 1 to June 20, 2009, PaceWildenstein presented Chuck Close's recent paintings and tapestries at its 534 West 25th Street location in New York. The exhibition featured seven large-scale portraits alongside nine jacquard tapestries, continuing Close's decades-long exploration of portraiture through systematic methods. Works included familiar subjects like Phillip Glass, Cindy Sherman, Andres Serrano, and a surprising portrait of Bill Clinton. At age 69, Close had received numerous honors including ten honorary doctorates, establishing himself as an artistic icon since his breakthrough with Big Nude and Big Self Portrait in 1967. The show demonstrated his ongoing investigation into visual perception, using grid systems and color choices to deconstruct and reconstruct the act of seeing. One painting, Georgia (2006-2007), measured 108½ by 84 inches and contained 8,772 individual color decisions across its 34x43 grid. Despite physical limitations as a quadriplegic, Close's work maintained effortless assurance while revealing all technical processes. The exhibition challenged viewers to look beyond celebrity subjects and recognize how his concentric circles and dots coalesce into recognizable likenesses when viewed from a distance. Lilly Wei contributed an insightful catalog essay contextualizing Close's career trajectory. The artist's Polaroid maquettes were displayed in the entryway, completing the presentation of his multifaceted approach to image-making.