James Castle: His Life and Art

[Image description: an untitled James Castle work, made from paper, string, and soot, folded and tied to resemble a shirt front with square buttons; from the Museum of Modern Art website]

I got this Idaho Center for the Book press release (below) through SHARP-L, the listserv of the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing; links added. James Charles Castle was born on September 24 (or maybe 25) 1900 (or maybe 1899); either way, the date is coming up next week, so maybe observe the occasion by learning more about this twentieth-century artist. There is also a new DVD, "James Castle: Dream House," available from the Idaho Center for the Book, and a film documentary, "James Castle: Portrait of the Artist." A major Castle retrospective is due to open next month at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Amazon's got the exhibit catalog for pre-order.)

SECOND EDITION OF ‘JAMES CASTLE: HIS LIFE AND ART’ EXPANDS ON STORY OF MISUNDERSTOOD IDAHO ARTIST

The second edition of "James Castle: His Life and Art," written by Boise State University professor Tom Trusky and first published in 2004, has been released by the Idaho Center for the Book.

"James Castle: His Life and Art" contains rare documents and photographs, exclusive interviews with Castle’s family, childhood friends and contemporary art and medical experts. The new edition features two new chapters as well as 200 black-and-white and color images and maps. The book has been revised and updated, including the book notes and bibliography.

[Image description: black-and-white photo James Castle in his work shed, wearing overalls and seated at a small table, with various papers pasted to the walls around him; photo found here]

The book has been called "the definitive critical biography of Castle," the native Idaho artist who died in Boise in 1977. Labeled for his entire life as deaf, mute, illiterate and mentally challenged, Castle is now thought to have been autistic. Born in 1899 in Garden Valley, he was the fifth of seven children.

He never learned to speak, had a limited ability to read and write and he seemingly refused to be taught to sign. His primary form of communication was the thousands of books, drawings and illustrations he produced during his lifetime. Houses, domestic scenes, family members and friends were endlessly rendered in what some have termed a primitive “folk art” style from crude tools and supplies — ink made from soot and saliva, pens fashioned from twigs or sticks and canvases scavenged from scrap paper, cardboard, books and the many catalogs that flowed through his parents’ general store and post office. Even when family, friends, curators and artists purchased paints and brushes for him, late in his career, he preferred to make his own tools.

Castle devoted himself to making art for more than 60 years. Although briefly “discovered” in the 1960s, he was largely unrecognized during his lifetime. Castle left behind more than 20,000 artworks.

“James Castle: His Life and Art” sold out of its first edition. It is published by the Idaho Center for the Book, housed at Boise State, and is available at the Boise State Bookstore and Amazon.com.

Media Contact: Julie Hahn, University Communications, (208) 426-5540, juliehahn@boisestate.edu