Untitled

James Castle, Untitled, ca. 1931-1977, found paper and soot, 58 12 in. (12.721.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James Castle Collection and Archive and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2013.27.15

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled
Artist
Date
ca. 1931-1977
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
58 12 in. (12.721.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the James Castle Collection and Archive and museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums Description
found paper and soot
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group
Object Number
2013.27.15

Artwork Description

Idaho native James Castle recorded personal views of his home ground between roughly 1910 and 1970. His drawings, predominantly done with a homemade soot-based ink on found paper and cardboard, depict farm scenes and the surrounding countryside with a remarkable stillness. Castle also constructed small objects--doll-like figures, birds, and other household items--using sewn-together cardboard. In these drawings, Castle depicts some of his paper people situated within otherwise quiet interiors. Castle lived with family, but was isolated by deafness and an inability to communicate with writing or signing. His art was how he conveyed his view of the world, and his small paper sculptures situated within his drawings speak volumes about a self-made realm.

Works by this artist (21 items)

David Haxton, Vertical and Receding Lines, 1974, 16mm film, black and white, silent; 05:30 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2011.15.2, © 1974, David Haxton
Vertical and Receding Lines
Date1974
16mm film, black and white, silent; 05:30 minutes
Not on view
David Haxton, Cutting Light and Dark Holes, from Sixteen Films, 1974, 16mm film on digital video, black and white, silent; 08:00 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2014.50.1.3, © 1974, David Haxton
Cutting Light and Dark Holes, from Sixteen Films
Date1974
16mm film on digital video, black and white, silent; 08:00 minutes
Not on view
David Haxton, Vertical and Receding Lines, from Sixteen Films, 1974, 16mm film on digital video, black and white, silent; 06:00 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2014.50.1.2, © 1974, David Haxton
Vertical and Receding Lines, from Sixteen Films
Date1974
16mm film on digital video, black and white, silent; 06:00 minutes
Not on view
David Haxton, Bringing Lights Forward, from Sixteen Films, 1970, 16mm film on digital video, black and white, silent; 04:00 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2014.50.1.1, © 1970, David Haxton
Bringing Lights Forward, from Sixteen Films
Date1970
16mm film on digital video, black and white, silent; 04:00 minutes
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

David Haxton, Vertical and Receding Lines, 1974, 16mm film, black and white, silent; 05:30 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2011.15.2, © 1974, David Haxton
Vertical and Receding Lines
Date1974
16mm film, black and white, silent; 05:30 minutes
Not on view
Hans Breder, Quanta, 1967, single-channel video, color, silent; 03:46 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2013.50.4, © 1967, Hans Breder
Quanta
Date1967
single-channel video, color, silent; 03:46 minutes
Not on view
Eureka
Date1974
16 mm Plus-X print, black and white, silent; 30:00 minutes
Not on view
Carolee Schneemann, Viet Flakes, 1965, 16mm film transferred to video, toned black & white, sound; 07:00 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Ford Motor Company, 2008.21.9, © 1965 Carolee Schneemann Foundation. Courtesy Electronic Arts Intermix, NY
Viet Flakes
Date1965
16mm film transferred to video, toned black & white, sound; 07:00 minutes
Not on view