James Castle: Tying it Together

Raised in Garden Valley, Idaho, Castle was born deaf and never learned to read, write or use sign language.  However, he developed a sophisticated means of communication through drawing and devoted a lifetime to the creation of his own images.  Castle ignored traditional drawing materials in favor of discarded cardboard, paper scraps and homemade charcoal dyes.  Using these materials, he produced drawings, assemblages and books illustrating his rural Idaho environment, including landscapes, buildings, self-portraits, family pictures and fantasy forms.  The exhibition will celebrate Castle’s growing national renown and showcase a representative selection of BAM’s Castle holdings, the largest public collection of his works.  The new documentary film about Castle’s life and creative processes, James Castle: Portrait of an Artist will be shown in the galleries.

Sponsored by the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies