James Castle:not casted for ArtStar
In continuing with combing the studio for “tasty bits” I came across some images by an artist that works quite differently from me but as I begin to get more involved with collage as part of my practice, I see that these pieces are rubbing off in some invisible ways.
“if one spends a long time in a room with only one object, that object becomes a little god” – Tony Smith
The artist is James Castle, now deceased since the 1970’s – from rural Idaho. What’s remarkable aside from the staggering consistency within the work is that Castle was deaf and unable to speak or sign - for his entire 77 years. His time was mostly spent making objects and drawings from found materials, cardboard, string, paper and soot. His was a lifetime devoted to art and spending most of that time alone with simple objects – a bed, a chair, a stove. An American monastic vision for sure. I’m just struck by how simple and emotional these works are and how they actually feel formidable despite being made of the most fragile and tattered things. You see every decision yet each piece feels like it was born – always just as it is.
Its tough to choose these but here’s a small sample:
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3 comments:
holy crap those are simple and strange objects.
Very nice. I had always loved his soot N spit drawings. I had never seen these before. I am humbled.
yeah these are pretty special I think. There are abut 20 more as well. I think in the end I prefer them to the drawings - or rather I feel like i want to actually hold them - keep them.
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