JAMES CASTLE (1899-1977)

James Castle (1899-1977), born deaf and mute, learned to communicate and interact with the world around him via visual and tactile means. His works employing text are enigmatic objects that reveal his love of materials, his deep connection with processes of assemblage, and his understanding of design and form. The artist could not read, so his lettering does not reference language or speak to transmitted meaning. Instead, Castle relished the design elements of the letters' shapes, both embracing common typeface and rearranging and redesigning the forms to create interesting visual effects.