The FDR Memorial traces twelve years of American history through a sequence of four outdoor ‘rooms,’ each devoted to one of President Roosevelt’s terms. Conveying the spirit of FDR, the rooms are defined by walls of red granite carved with famous quotations, enhanced by water features, and decorated with ornamental plantings. The first room introduces FDR’s early presidency, when he launched the New …show more content…
He enjoyed watching his father tinker in the garage and his grandmother knit in the kitchen. His parents bought him art supplies and an easel as a gift, and young Close began to create. When he was just 11 years old, Close’s father died of a heart attack and his mother was diagnosed with cancer. During this emotional upheaval, Close turned to art as a method of coping. Also, school proved to be a challenge for Close. He struggled to keep up with his classmates, yet, he charmed them with magic tricks and jokes in an effort to fit in. Now, Chuck Close openly discusses his dyslexia, but during his childhood in the the 1950s, it was undiagnosed and untreated. Instead, he adapted to his learning issues, developing visual strategies and oral techniques to assist him. Close ultimately earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and gained admission to Yale University School of Art. There, he was surrounded by a cohort of artists and academics, who deepened his art practice, and he earned a Masters in Fine