Kathy Aney of the East Oregonian highlights Pendleton Center for the Arts latest exhibition, "Chuck Close: Selections from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation," opening Friday, March 10.
Ms. Aney reports that the exhibition "can be a mind-blowing experience." From abstract pieces that seemingly morph into portraits and back again, the exhibit is full of optical illusions that Close uses to "weave together reality and abstraction."
An iconic artist, Close has created portraits from famous and non-famous faces alike, including Brad Pitt, whose portrait is hung at the exhibit. "Chuck Close is the master portrait artist of our time," says Portland art collector, Jordan Schnitzer. "For tens of thousands of years, artists have drawn faces, but no one has taken the art of portraiture to the same level as Chuck Close. His portraits are a mirror of not only his subjects, but of all of us.”
The dozen Chuck Close pieces are currently on loan from the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation and can be viewed at the Pendleton Center for the Arts. The exhibit kicks off Friday with a public reception from 5:30-7 p.m. and runs through April 29.