Chuck Close has been a leading figure in contemporary art since the 1970s. He has developed a singular approach to painting, utilizing a rigorous system of gridding to produce images that possess both the realism of photography and the loose coloration of abstraction. In addition to painting, Close has worked in photography and printmaking. His work has been the subject of major retrospectives at such institutions as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.

Extraordinary Lives explores great minds that have shaped our cultural landscape. In this series, Graduate Center President Bill Kelly has one-on-one conversations with a diverse group of vital contemporary thinkers, artists, and visionaries who have indelibly impacted the fields in which they work. Previous participants have included Patti Smith, Ira Glass, and Danny Meyer.