Chuck Close's 'Molesting' Art: A Defense of the Offensive Gaze

In a critical essay on Artribune, Marco Senaldi argues that Chuck Close's hyperrealist work is inherently 'molesting'—not morally, but artistically. Close's oversized photographic portraits and later mosaic-like works, such as those in the New York subway, force viewers into an uncomfortable proximity that reveals the chaos beneath representation. Senaldi contends that Close's art is offensive because it exposes the voyeuristic nature of looking, and that the 2017 accusations of sexual harassment against the artist should not overshadow the ethical complexity of his oeuvre. The essay reflects on the problematic history of hyperrealism, often dismissed as reactionary or vulgar, and defends Close's technical virtuosity as a tool for deconstructing mimesis. Senaldi notes that Close's own disabilities—dyslexia, prosopagnosia, and paresis—uniquely positioned him to create art that is 'immoral, impudent, indecent' in its scrutiny. The article was published in Artribune Magazine #51 and coincides with a solo exhibition of Close's work at MAR in Ravenna, curated by Daniele Torcellini.