Phil / Fingerprint

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.