JAMES CASTLE (1899-1977)

In Untitled (Door), Castle (1899-1977) demonstrates both his modernist aesthetic and his sophisticated use of found materials. Born deaf and mute, Castle learned to communicate and interact with the world around him via visual and tactile means. In addition to his soot-and-spit drawings, Castle is well-known for his pierced-paper and card constructions, intimate objects that animate forms ranging from furniture, to clothing, to birds. Here, Castle creates a three-dimensional, built-up construction of fabric, soot and spit, ruled paper and card, evoking a door.