James Castle: A Retrospective (Philadelphia Museum of Art) Book

James Castle (1899-1977) never learned to speak, read, or write—and left his native state of Idaho only once—and yet he created a wide range of extraordinary works that resonate with much of 20th-century art. This book offers the first critical exploration of the many creative genres of this self-taught artist, who first came to notice in the 1950s and 1960s but has only recently been recognized by major museums. Lavishly illustrated with more than 300 full-color reproductions and packaged with an original documentary DVD illuminating fascinating aspects of his life and art, this book examines Castleâ??s drawings, color-wash works, idiosyncratic cardboard and paper constructions, and word, sign, and symbol pieces. As a child he developed his favorite medium and method of working, mixing stove soot with saliva and applying this “inkâ? with sharpened sticks and cotton wads to such found materials as product packaging and discarded paper. These everyday materials have given his works a singular, immediate, and appealing natural quality. This engaging volume considers Castleâ??s remarkable art from a variety of perspectives, examining his life, modes of depiction, working methods and materials, and the “visual poetryâ? of his text works.Read More