
JAMES CASTLE
James Castle (1899-1977) was an American artist who found inspiration in the detritus of everyday life, primarily in the materials he collected from his family’s home, such as envelopes, packaging, advertisements, and matchbooks. Working mostly with soot, spit, and homemade tools, he created a rich, complex style that was wholly his own. Castle was born deaf and had limited means of communication. However, with the support of his family, he had dedicated space, supplies, and plenty of time to make art. Though he did not gain recognition for his art until the 1950s, Castle’s work is now exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide.
THE DEFINITIVE BOOK
ON THE WORK OF JAMES CASTLE
James Castle: Memory PaIace
By John Beardsley
Published in March 2021 by Yale University Press
A fascinating new look at an extraordinary artist whose deafness led to an acute visual awareness and near photographic memory
– Yale University Press

BIOGRAPHY

EXHIBITIONS
Read the review of James Castle Memory Palace in The New York Review of Books. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/01/13/castles-kingdom/?utm_source=nybooks&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-share #jamescastleartist #jamescastle. Available at Yale University Press Books or wherever you buy books.
Castle`s drawings are included in an exhibition with artists whose work is about place. "For these artists, home is not only a house or a place, but also memories, people – and stories" – Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Dreamhome: Stories of Art and Shelter
3 December 2022 – late 2023
#jamescastlearchive #jamescastleartist
This beautiful drawing is included in the exhibition, The Private Universe of James Castle: Drawings from the William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation and James Castle Collection and Archive.
Opening this weekend at the Santa Barbara Musuem of Art. This is the first exhibition of the Castle`s work in Southern California.
On View June 25 – September 17, 2023
Untitled (view of attic)
Soot on found paper
7 1/2 x 16 inches
Collection of the James Castle Collection and Archive
@sbmuseart #jamescastleartist #jamescastlearchive