Magic

Are you familiar with the work of painter Chuck Close? I had the pleasure of seeing some of his work at the Salvador Dali Museum in St Petersburg, Florida, a few years ago and I was enthralled.

For those of you who don't know, he does facial studies on a huge scale. From a distance they are realistically painted faces - his early work was photo realistic - but up close they turn into a grid of abstract squares. They change as one walks across the room. There is a definite element of magic.

There are a couple of programs about Chuck Close that the Sundance and Ovation TV channels (PBS too?) show, check them out if you get a chance. In addition to telling about Mr. Closes' life and some of his philosophy, they show him creating his magic. I watched Chuck CLOSE, a Film by Marion Cajori last night. I could watch it over and over. Between interviews the film follows the progress of one painting.

There are clips of the artist working and as the the camera pans in and out you can catch that moment of magic where abstraction turns into light or shadow on the plane of a face.

I find it thrilling. Perhaps you will too.