James Castle (AMERICAN, 1899-1977)
Untitled (Herringbone Friends)
Found paper, crayon
Dimensions: 7 3/4 x 10 1/4 inches (19 3/4 x 26 cm)
Framed and matted, floating in frame
Karen Lenox Gallery, Chicago; Ruth O’Hara Gallery, New York
Contact department for full condition report

This rare, undated crayon on found paper is by James Castle (1899-1977), a self-taught American artist who resided in the remote rural community of Garden Valley, just outside of Boise, Idaho. Castle, who was profoundly deaf, never learned to speak, read or write. He created drawings, assemblages and books from found materials such as paper bags and packing materials. He used soot from the woodstove mixed with saliva to create ink, or in this case, found crayons.

Castle’s drawings are based on the buildings, people, landscapes and patterns of Garden Valley (which he only left once in his life). This very full drawing has all of these elements – a couple, wearing herringbone coats set in a rural landscape with buildings. Measuring 7 5/8 x 10 3/8 inches, “Untitled (Herringbone)” is larger than many of the artist’s works on paper.

The extraordinary and sensitive qualities of Castle’s works have recently brought him to the attention of major museums and collectors. In 2008, he was the subject of a retrospective at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as well as a full-length documentary, entitled “James Castle: Portrait of an Artist.” His works are in the collections the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the High Museum in Atlanta, and the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2013, his paper assemblages were featured in the Venice Biennale special exhibit “The Encyclopedic Palace.”

James Castle (American, 1899-1977)

James Castle represents the legitimacy and profundity of 20th Century artwork. Castle was born in Garden Valley, Idaho and had virtually no contact outside of his small community. In addition, Castle was also deaf and the extent to which he could communicate is unknown. However, the themes of his work coincide with the themes of the 20th century. Castle often used found materials, such as jars, paper, etc. in his artwork. He made pieces mostly about the small life he knew, such as the people and architecture, or the soot he could find around his home. Castle’s works have now been collected by major museums and an exhibit honoring his work was held at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in 2011.