James Castle's Systematic Vision Explored in New York Studio School Exhibition

The exhibition "James Castle: People, Places & Things" will be held at the New York Studio School from January 29 to March 4, 2018, offering a fresh perspective on the artist's creations beyond his personal history. Curated by Karen Wilkin, it emphasizes Castle's exploration of pictorial structure. Born in Idaho in 1899, Castle was profoundly deaf and mute, producing hundreds of artworks with soot, saliva, and found materials on discarded paper. His drawings exhibit a refined grasp of form, utilizing rectangles as foundational elements. The show features series with varying viewpoints and includes source materials. Castle's work gained attention when his nephew presented it to an art professor in Portland, Oregon, leading to eight solo exhibitions before his passing in 1977. Interest in his art surged again in 1998, resulting in a retrospective in 2008 and his participation in the 2013 Venice Biennale.