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
Castle often drew from common commercially printed items that came through the household, such as this tiny humorous matchbook cover.
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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
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James Castle reveals ingenuity in framing his drawing with a gift box.
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This tiny drawing holds much to look at.
One side, a farmscape with Castle`s iconic giant drive through tree, the other, an intimate room with door ajar.
untitled, soot on found paper
1 3/4 x 2 3/8 inches
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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.
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Tinworks Art, a contemporary exhibition space in Bozeman Montana, opens the 2024 season with The Lay of the Land. This exhibition, featuring work inspired by the American West, includes over eighty drawings and constructions by James Castle and work by five contemporary artists, Agnes Dennis, Layli Long Soldier, Lucy Raven, Stephen Shore, and Robbie Wing.
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This beautiful gem, along with four other works by Castle, is included in the exhibition “The Window: A Journey Through Art and Architecture through Windows” at the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art, Marugame, Japan.
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Untitled,
Found paper, color, 5 x 6 3/6 inches
date unknown
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James Castle, one of the most enigmatic artists of the of the 20th century, was born 121 years ago today.
Within this untitled book by Castle, a possible self-portrait is depicted.
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Castle created many transcriptions of editorial cartoons. This particular cartoon was published September 1, 1956 in The Idaho Statesman.
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Things Castle saved.
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This Castle 2-sided drawing from the collection of Jasper Johns is included in Jasper Johns-Artist as collector, From Cezanne to de Kooning an exhibition at Kunstmuseum Basel.
“The show encompasses a variety of expressive drawing styles spanning Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism through to contemporary works, and, for the first time, affords a truly representative insight into this singular collection.” – Kunstmuseum Basel
Untitled (Three Figures in Landscape)
Verso*: Untitled (Two Figures in Landscape)
Found paper, soot, spit 24.1×25.4 cm
Collection of Jasper johns
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Open viewing hours until 4pm today. Come see The James Castle Primer (An Exhibition), which consists of 62 pieces, including drawings, constructions, handmade books, and ephemera.
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Page detail from a commercially printed pamphlet altered by Castle. This 62- page booklet, each page filled with intricate drawings, is one of many items that may have passed through the household in the mid 1920"s in which Castle gleaned for his work.