chitownjr's review
5.0
When I first saw this book I wasn’t sure what it was about and I was even more confused when I opened it and saw the flip pages. I wondered what I would write about and thought maybe it was a visual biography without words.
I was happy to be wrong! I loved this book and thought the design and format were amazing! The question and answer format let Close tell his story in his own way. The questions were posed by twelve fifth graders who visited Close’s studio. The questions and answers form the basis of this book.
Close’s life story is one of overcoming adversity. He was dyslexic before they even had a term for it and had to overcome a lot to graduate from school. He couldn’t do math, had trouble remembering people’s faces, and suffered from neuromuscular problems that made it difficult to have a “normal” childhood.
He said art saved him and after reading this biography, I believe him. At age 48 he became paralyzed yet remained determined to keep doing his art. His story is inspiring to me as an adult; I would imagine kids would be even more inspired by this story of a person who wasn’t good in school but excelled in art.
Close says on page 6, “If you just keep doing something, you get better at it.” This is a great message for everyone. In fact, this book offers a great many life lessons without being pedantic in the least. It teaches the reader about art, about ways of looking at life and overcoming obstacles with determination and self-discipline. Close lives the lessons he imparts and has earned his authority.
Close also dismisses the idea of inspiration and says you have to just get to work, not wait for inspiration to strike. “Inspiration is for amateurs,” he says on page 36. He maintains that inspiration comes to you as you work and I certainly have found that to be true in my own life. This has also proven to be true doing these book journal entries. When I read the books I take notes and then use them as I write up my thoughts. While writing there are always other things and other connections that come to me and writing lends another element of discovery to my enjoyment of the books we’ve been reading.
But, back to The Face Book…
The design is a crucial part of the book. The questions are handwritten while the answers are typed. This delineates the kids’ questions from Close’s answers. There are numerous images of Close’s work so you can see what he’s talking about when he describes his various artistic processes: airbrush, watercolor, oil, pastels, and even fingerprint painting using stamp pad inks. This book really captures the joy of creation and it’s fun to read his descriptions of how he works in each medium.
There are numerous photos of Close at work as a young man and more current pictures of him working from his wheelchair. Another major design element of the book are the 12 self portraits divided into three panels which the reader can flip to create mix and match portraits. This would be appealing to kids who like to interact with books and fits the artistic subject matter.
The timeline at the back of the book is a good way to review Close’s life and provides the chronological structure lacking in the question and answer format of the bulk of the book. The end matter also includes a glossary, list of illustrations, index, and list of resources.
This book is a fantastic addition to any library-public, school or academic. I sure hope the School of the Art Institute and the Columbia College Chicago libraries have copies. That said, the book’s intended audience is likely to be kids between ten and fourteen.
I was happy to be wrong! I loved this book and thought the design and format were amazing! The question and answer format let Close tell his story in his own way. The questions were posed by twelve fifth graders who visited Close’s studio. The questions and answers form the basis of this book.
Close’s life story is one of overcoming adversity. He was dyslexic before they even had a term for it and had to overcome a lot to graduate from school. He couldn’t do math, had trouble remembering people’s faces, and suffered from neuromuscular problems that made it difficult to have a “normal” childhood.
He said art saved him and after reading this biography, I believe him. At age 48 he became paralyzed yet remained determined to keep doing his art. His story is inspiring to me as an adult; I would imagine kids would be even more inspired by this story of a person who wasn’t good in school but excelled in art.
Close says on page 6, “If you just keep doing something, you get better at it.” This is a great message for everyone. In fact, this book offers a great many life lessons without being pedantic in the least. It teaches the reader about art, about ways of looking at life and overcoming obstacles with determination and self-discipline. Close lives the lessons he imparts and has earned his authority.
Close also dismisses the idea of inspiration and says you have to just get to work, not wait for inspiration to strike. “Inspiration is for amateurs,” he says on page 36. He maintains that inspiration comes to you as you work and I certainly have found that to be true in my own life. This has also proven to be true doing these book journal entries. When I read the books I take notes and then use them as I write up my thoughts. While writing there are always other things and other connections that come to me and writing lends another element of discovery to my enjoyment of the books we’ve been reading.
But, back to The Face Book…
The design is a crucial part of the book. The questions are handwritten while the answers are typed. This delineates the kids’ questions from Close’s answers. There are numerous images of Close’s work so you can see what he’s talking about when he describes his various artistic processes: airbrush, watercolor, oil, pastels, and even fingerprint painting using stamp pad inks. This book really captures the joy of creation and it’s fun to read his descriptions of how he works in each medium.
There are numerous photos of Close at work as a young man and more current pictures of him working from his wheelchair. Another major design element of the book are the 12 self portraits divided into three panels which the reader can flip to create mix and match portraits. This would be appealing to kids who like to interact with books and fits the artistic subject matter.
The timeline at the back of the book is a good way to review Close’s life and provides the chronological structure lacking in the question and answer format of the bulk of the book. The end matter also includes a glossary, list of illustrations, index, and list of resources.
This book is a fantastic addition to any library-public, school or academic. I sure hope the School of the Art Institute and the Columbia College Chicago libraries have copies. That said, the book’s intended audience is likely to be kids between ten and fourteen.
jdgcreates's review
5.0
A wonderful biopic of Chuck Close and a glimpse into his creative process! Super cool.
briannastw's review
5.0
I have always been fascinated with Chuck Close. This autobiography for young readers is not only extremely informative in the way it describes Chuck's art-making journey, but it is also notable for the style of language in which it is written. Close writes in a Q & A format that goes beyond basic inquiry and delves deeply into his motivations, techniques, and discipline. And although the language is clearly geared toward young readers, it never talks down to them or underestimates their intelligence. I love this book. It would make a terrific gift for any young artists you know.
satyridae's review
3.0
I dug this book for the most part. I enjoyed Close's answers to kids' questions- he is far more guileless than his art led me to believe. I liked the mix and match pieces of his portraits. There's something not there, though, and I can't put my finger on it exactly, but this book didn't scratch all the itch it created somehow. It's breathtakingly hard to talk about the creative process, and even harder to do so when one's audience is children whose natural bullshit detectors are set to maximum gain. For my money, Close does a good job.
1tolkienfan's review
3.0
It was interesting seeing how Chuck creates his artwork. I think i was hoping more for information about his life
tracylaura's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this biography. It was a fascinating story of Chuck Close's life and I loved that it was created based on a group of fifth graders questions for him.
katieisreadingthis's review
5.0
Such a cool book and his story is so inspirational, especially for those who don't fit into the academic norm!
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