Chuck Close is an artist famed for his massive, photo-like portraits of faces.
He has dyslexia, and even more interesting given his career, also has a form of face-blindness which makes it difficult for him to recognize people.
He struggled with all areas of school from a young age due to severe dyslexia.
“At the time there was no such thing as dyslexia,” he said in one interview. “You were just dumb and lazy.”
But from a very early age, he had one passion which outstripped the rest: art. And he was very good. Despite his academic difficulties, he set his sights on one goal, which he called “Yale or jail”! Yale was the leading place to study for an MFA, and he would not rest until he gained admittance.
His dogged determination won the day and at Yale he developed his signature style of using paint to create photo-realistic portraits.
He is famous world-over for his innovative techniques, some of which actually paved the way for inkjet printing.
—
Sarah Forrest is a Literacy Specialist for the Easyread System, an online program for children with dyslexia, reading difficulties, auditory processing weakness and more. Get a free 10-day trial at www.easyreadsystem.com
