Chuck Close 20x24 Polaroids in Vanity Fair

[Drew Wiley]

I was forced to stay in High School four years, despite finishing all the requirements in two. So nothing to do except either take art classes or run cross country for
hours all day. Chose the latter, and since it was way out in the country, just felt like getting let out of school early. Spent a lot of the warmer months swimming in
the creek down in the school Ag Farm. So we certainly were in shape. And I wasn't allowed to take shop classes - only the "dummies" were. Was forced to read
Sophocles and all that nonsense. College was worse, but I managed to do a lot of independent study and actually learn something. Took one mandatory art class
in college. Was that ever a waste of time.

[StoneNYC]

I was forced to stay in High School four years, despite finishing all the requirements in two. So nothing to do except either take art classes or run cross country for
hours all day. Chose the latter, and since it was way out in the country, just felt like getting let out of school early. Spent a lot of the warmer months swimming in
the creek down in the school Ag Farm. So we certainly were in shape. And I wasn't allowed to take shop classes - only the "dummies" were. Was forced to read
Sophocles and all that nonsense. College was worse, but I managed to do a lot of independent study and actually learn something. Took one mandatory art class
in college. Was that ever a waste of time.

So basically you're telling us that you're background is that of an aristocrat was also a mental genius, along with being a physical god...

[Drew Wiley]

Nope. Just another hillbilly in a cowboy and Indian town (literally) - a high school district larger than six New England states, literally back then, but mostly uninhabited. All my old running pals are apparently still alive - something pretty rare in that demographic. Almost 50% of my high school class was dead by the 10th
reunion. No sense telling any stories. Flatlanders would never believe them anyway. Anyone from that part of the world would. I've seen just too many Country
Western songs play out in real life. But it was the Reservations that where the violence really got out of hand. One of my ole crosscountry cronies has since established a school to try to keep at least one of the local dialects alive, and some of the authentic culture. Another became a bigwig in the Forest Service - I'm
really surprised, in his case, that he survived those three-man shoulder stands climbing waterfalls (he was the little guy at the top, who had to tie the rope off).
We sure did a lot of dumb things as kids, but's that's just the way it was in the mountains. ... No danger of injury or getting crippled - we made certain of that -
if we did fall, it was going to be unequivocally fatal.

[StoneNYC]

Nope. Just another hillbilly in a cowboy and Indian town (literally) - a high school district larger than six New England states, literally back then, but mostly uninhabited. All my old running pals are apparently still alive - something pretty rare in that demographic. Almost 50% of my high school class was dead by the 10th
reunion. No sense telling any stories. Flatlanders would never believe them anyway. Anyone from that part of the world would. I've seen just too many Country
Western songs play out in real life. But it was the Reservations that where the violence really got out of hand. One of my ole crosscountry cronies has since established a school to try to keep at least one of the local dialects alive, and some of the authentic culture. Another became a bigwig in the Forest Service - I'm
really surprised, in his case, that he survived those three-man shoulder stands climbing waterfalls (he was the little guy at the top, who had to tie the rope off).
We sure did a lot of dumb things as kids, but's that's just the way it was in the mountains. ... No danger of injury or getting crippled - we made certain of that -
if we did fall, it was going to be unequivocally fatal.

Are you native?

[Drew Wiley]

Nope. But my square dance partner as a little kid grew up to be worth tens of millions due to all the casino stuff these days. Some of the Bugsy types tried to get
rid of her for trying to use casino earnings to set up college scholarship funds for Indians kids. The area was about 55% native American back then, and I had the
rare (now impossible) opportunity to get to know a number of very very old Indians who grew up completely aboriginal. Even most of my own generation knew no
English when they first boarded the school buses, and still harvested acorns. But I don't know what any of this has to do with Chuck Close. There were some amazing
basketmakers among them, and some of their work is now in museums. Not surprising that the mob got involved with that too, and pulled off some big time basket
heists. And exceptional California basket can sometimes fetch as much as 50K on the black market.

[adelorenzo]

I don't want to re-open the discussion but if anyone is interested the full set of images is now posted online.

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/...wood-portfolio

[Tin Can]

Goody!