Chuck Close Cause of Death Tragic: Photorealistic Painter Suffered From Dreaded Illness, Was 81
A well-known photographer and artist painting photorealistic portraits, Chuck Close died at the age of 81, confirmed by his lawyer as he died in the hospital.
According to this article, his lawyer, John Silberman, announced on Thursday that he died in Oceanside, New York.
A statement made by the director of public relations at the Pace Gallery, Adriana Elgarresta, said he was diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia in 2015.
Close's immediate cause of death was due to congestive heart failure.
Close was known for painting oversized self-portraits and grid structure images of himself and friends that he learned during the 1970s and 1980s. His first painting was a shot of himself in black and white with unwashed hair smoking a cigarette, which became his most iconic piece.
Close As An Artist In The Industry
Aside from being recognized as an astounding artist, he also had turmoil in his life when he was accused of sexual harassment from his female models.
It started in 2017, and his physician claimed that this behavior could be attributed to his 2013 Alzheimer's diagnosis, per NY Post.
When the allegations came to light, the National Gallery of Art in Washington canceled his art show. However, despite the news, many other museums worldwide, even the National Gallery, continued to display his paintings.
"If I embarrassed anyone or made them feel uncomfortable, I am truly sorry, I didn't mean to," he told the New York Times when the issue sparked to the public.
He even acknowledged he had a dirty mouth adding, "but we're all adults."
Chuck Close has died at age 81 and many of us will have mixed feelings about a man who was, all at once, a great artist, an entertaining friend and, sadly, an abuser of female trust. pic.twitter.com/8TwDo74Tyz
— Deborah Solomon (@deborahsolo) August 19, 2021
Like many men I once admired, Chuck Close’s treatment of women shut down that admiration. But I have always felt grateful for this quote, which I have carried with me and will continue to: pic.twitter.com/hijLH27aIi
— Kristen Radtke (@KristenRadtke) August 19, 2021
"Chuck Close" made it trending on Twitter as soon as the news was announced, which made numerous art lovers leave their own tributes to the artist.
RIP to painter, photographer, and unrepentant swag lord, Chuck Close pic.twitter.com/thyjlvPfRA
— Danny Mesa (@dannyw0rld) August 19, 2021
The Life Of Chuck Close
Close was born in Monroe, Wisconsin, on July 5, 1940. He once said that he had a close relationship with his dad, who was a plumber and inventor, who "made me things - toys from scratch, whole bicycles from scratch."
His father died when he was 11, and his mother supported him with his artistic dreams while studying and suffering due to undiagnosed dyslexia.
Close also mentioned in an interview back in 2011, "Face blindness has plagued me since I was a child, I wouldn't know my classmates. At the end of the school year, I would still have trouble recognizing them."
Close split with his ex-wife Leslie Rose, which lasted from 1967 until 2011.
