Chuck Close @ Adamson Gallery
His works are frequently found in museums all over the world, but right now you can get the first glimpse of ten new works by famed artist Chuck Close right here in D.C., at Adamson Gallery. Although the prices of these new works put them out of touch for most of the population, they are easy to be engulfed by. As always, Close’s thought-provoking work compels his viewers to pay "close" notice not only to his subjects, but also the processes through which he creates them.
His stark photographs of equally celebrated artists Cindy Sherman and Lorna Simpson are converted by means of a customized digital loom using 17,800 warp threads, and harken back to the days when fine tapestries hung proudly in castles and chateaus during the 19th century. You’d never guess, from far away at least, that these large-scale jacquard tapestry portraits are anything but photo-emulsions – they are so damn clear and beautiful. But in the intimate gallery space of Adamson, you begin to see the intricacies of the stitching, the delicate transfer of light to thread, the gorgeous, volumous photos-turned-fabric. Black areas even have concentrated texture, something that is often lost in photography.
Just what is it about Kate Moss? How is it that a supermodel and tabloid partier is able to grace the same walls and have the same attention of Close’s lens as some of contemporary art’s notorious greats? Maybe the many artists who have been drawn to her are onto something. She’s been portrayed by Wolfgang Tillmans, Lucian Freud, Alex Katz, Gary Hume, Julian Opie, Stella Vine, Jürgen Teller … the list goes on and on. This tapestry-portrait does her amazing justice, showing her as-is, sun spots and all. More beautiful than in Vogue even. Close, as he’s known to do, also has made a tapestry portrait of himself (pictured). There he is – bald, and looking quizzical.
Close’s flower portraits, reminiscent of Mappelthorpe, are a little on the boring side. But that might be just because they are placed next to the colossal, blanket headshots. The only piece in the gallery that displays any colors other than black and white is Kara (2007). It depicts Kara Walker, a complex, prolific American artist, in silhouette. Like her own signature style, the silhouette style shows that Close is allowing Walker’s recognizable outline to be a testament to her own work, becoming almost a collaboration.
If you are a lover of Close’s work, this exhibition is for you, as it's mainly a continuation of the same themes the photographer has been exploring for years. While most his work is made the old-fashioned way – by hand – the mechanically produced tapestries are a nice departure from the daguerreotype and a real demonstration of Close’s love of technical processes.
Adamson Gallery is located at 1515 14th Street NW, second floor, open Tuesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m and Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m. Photo courtesy of Adamson Gallery: Self-Portrait, 2007.