image of a man's head and shoulders made of finger prints in black ink on a grey aluminum plate

%C2%A9 Chuck Close%2C courtesy PaceWildenstein%2C New York

Phil / Fingerprint, c. 1981

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In 1981, in collaboration with Minneapolis-based publisher Vermillion Editions Limited, Chuck Close created a lithographic portrait of composer Phillip Glass using his fingerprints to draw the image on an aluminum litho plate. He inked his index finger over and over as he touched the plate, leaving his marks as he went. The present plate is the result of that effort. When he sent the plate to the printer, it became apparent that the dark areas of the plate became overly dense and proved unsuitable for printing. Close made a new fingerprint drawing on another plate, this time cleaning his finger with a solvent between each touch and re-inking. The first plate was kept by the publisher and will now join the Vermillion Editions Limited Archival Collection at Mia.

Details
Title
Phil / Fingerprint
Artist Life
1940 - 2021
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2013.47
Provenance
The artist; Steven Andersen (Vermillion Editions Limited, Minneapolis), about 1981-2013; sold to MIA
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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image of a man's head and shoulders made of finger prints in black ink on a grey aluminum plate

© Chuck Close, courtesy PaceWildenstein, New York

Because of © restrictions, we can only show you a small image of this artwork.