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

Phil / Fingerprint, 1981

Not on Viewexpand_more

Close drew this larger than life-size portrait of American avant-garde composer Philip Glass directly on a lithographic stone using the impressions of his own fingers that had been "inked" with lithographic tusche, a dense, greasy black liquid normally applied with a brush. As was his practice, Close worked directly from a photograph of his subject, using a grid to systematically arrange the image on the stone. The resulting portrait is both a compelling depiction of his friend Glass at age 44 and a spatial and temporal record of the artist's own "hand."

Details
Title
Phil / Fingerprint
Artist Life
1940 - 2021
Role
Artist
Accession Number
P.86.62.2
Provenance
Vermillion Editions, Limited., Minneapolis; sold to MIA, 1986.
Catalogue Raisonne
VEL 68; Butler Institute 16
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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© Chuck Close, courtesy PaceWildenstein, New York