James Castle created drawings, collages, text, abstract art, and color meditations such as what is shown. The art work is untitled with no date. Photo provided by Darla McCammon.

By Darla McCammon
and Darlene Romano
Guest Columnists

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Continuing with our series on self-taught artists, we have a very interesting subject this week, James Charles Castle (1899-1977). Castle was born profoundly deaf in Garden Valley, Idaho, and never learned to read, write or interact using sign language.

Because of his difficulty in communicating, he was not expected to assist with the farm’s chores and was able to spend his time freely. He began drawing at about age 6 and art became his way of communicating with others. He spent his entire life isolated in his family’s home and businesses, other than a six-month stent in the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind. He was often taunted and ridiculed by others and was eventually expelled from the school.

Castle was interested in art from an early age, and often created from items he found around the property including scraps of paper and milk containers that he manipulated with soot (by scraping carbon from a woodstove), sticks, string and improvised colors to create an unmistakable representation of his world.

He created drawings (see image included, untitled, no date), collages, text, abstract art, and color meditations. Lacking supplies, Castle “would render rustic and pastoral architecture and terrain using soot with saliva, which he would put on the end of a sharpened stick to render works of art much like what results with ink or graphite.” (www.artanddesigninspiration.com) His attention to detail in his artwork was remarkable considering he created most of his works from memory and not direct observation. Castle also created color using homemade paints and washes and his color works tended to be more abstract or dreamlike than his soot drawings.

Castle was believed to be autistic, and this resulted in an “acute visual awareness and near photographic memory.” (Yale University Press) Castle’s parents served as postmasters in Garden Valley, working out of the living room of their home, and this is how Castle obtained much of his material to create art. He created folk artwork of interiors, buildings, animals, landscapes and people based on his family’s property, and created architecture and landscapes of the other places he lived and places he visited.

Castle gained recognition as an artist in the early 1950’s when his nephew Bob Beach showed his instructors Castle’s work while he was attending the Museum Art School in Portland, Ore. This led to Castle’s work being included in exhibitions throughout the northwest. His work was presented in one-person shows in 1963 and 1976 at the Boise Gallery of Art, now the Boise Art Museum. Castle’s work is now shown in over 20 museums and galleries, including the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. For more information, go to www.jamescastle.com.

EVENTS

Midwest Museum of American Art in Elkhart: The museum is proud to present the exhibition America The Beautiful by American Master Photographer Clyde Butcher. His work will be available for viewing through July 16. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The museum is located at 429 S. Main St., Elkhart. Admission is $10. For more information, call (574( 293-6660.

Lakeland Art Center & Gallery: JURIED SHOW-Calling all artists. Artwork in all mediums is being accepted and installed for the juried show on June 4. The show will open to the public on June 7 and run through July 22. There will be a reception to announce the winners of the show from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, June 25. The public is welcome to attend. Gallery hours are 11:30 a.m to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and admission is free. Gallery is located at 302 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw. For more information, email [email protected].

Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery: Kim Lanoue is the featured exhibitor at the Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery. The gallery is inside of Warsaw City Hall which is located at 102 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw. Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission. To exhibit at Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery, contact Darla McCammon, Curator, at (574) 527-4044 ( leave a message) or email to [email protected].

o subscribe: Please email address to [email protected].