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I wanted to translate from one flat surface to another. In fact, my learning disabilities controlled a lot of things. I don't recognize faces, so I'm sure it's what drove me to portraits in the first place.
Chuck Close
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Chuck Close discusses how his learning disabilities influenced his artistic focus on portraits.

In this quote, Chuck Close reflects on how his learning disabilities, particularly his inability to recognize faces, shaped his artistic journey. He highlights the concept of translating experiences and perceptions, indicating that his struggles led him to find solace and purpose in creating portraits, illustrating how personal challenges can guide one's creative expression and choices.

Themes

Learning DisabilitiesPortraitsArtistic JourneySelf-ExpressionChuck Close

In practice

Example use cases

During a talk about overcoming challenges, this quote can illustrate how personal experiences shape creativity.

More from Chuck Close

I never said the camera was truth. It is, however, a more accurate and more objective way of seeing.
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A photograph doesn't gain weight or lose weight, or change from being happy to being sad. It's frozen. You can use it, then recycle it.
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The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.
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Neurologically, I'm a quadriplegic, so virtually everything about my work has been driven by my learning disabilities, which are quite severe, and my lack of facial recognition, which I'm sure is what drove me to paint portraits in the first place.
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Part of the joy of looking at art is getting in sync in some ways with the decision-making process that the artist used and the record that's embedded in the work.
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Losing my father at a tender age was extremely important in being able to accept what happened to me later when I became a quadriplegic.
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A little wisdom, now and then

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