16 pp., 79 illustrations; bound with white string in cardboard covers repurposed from a green and yellow "Sugar Honey Maid" graham cracker box; thick, black brushstrokes in "h" formation on inside of front cover with two wavy, black lines above and below; first three pages feature grid of nine squares each containing an image drawn in black -- mixture of portraits, interiors, and abstractions; wavy, horizontal black lines drawn in-between squares to mimic lines of text; layout of image and "text" breaks from grid on pages 4-5; page 6-8 feature two rectangles comprised of 21 squares some with images others blank; selection of letters (Greek?) rendered above each rectangle; inside of back cover has single, abstract figure in square with wavy, black lines above and below square; not signed

Copyright %C2%A9 2018 James Castle Collection and Archive LP%2C All rights reserved.

Untitled (Sugar Honey Maid Graham Crackers Book), after 1930

James Castleexpand_more

Soot and soot wash drawings on found beige paper, in covers fashioned from thin gray cardboard faced with beige paper (commercially printed Sugar Honey Maid graham crackers packaging); bound with white cotton stringexpand_more

The Mary and Robyn Campbell Fund for Art Books and the David and Margaret Christenson Endowment for Art Acquisitionexpand_more  2015.46

Not on Viewexpand_more

Born in rural Idaho, James Castle was a self-taught artist who lived with family members throughout his life. Though isolated from the art world, he produced over 20,000 unique works of art—drawings, collages, handmade books, and constructions—made from found materials and improvised media. Profoundly deaf from birth, Castle did not speak and never learned to sign, red lips, or write. His remarkable artistic achievements are now recognized internationally.

Consisting of more than 100 individual hand-drawn images on 16 sheets of found paper, this untitled and undated artist’s book is a distinctive blend of material originality and expressive content. Using stove soot and saliva to form an ink, Castle produced the various drawings in the book as part of a cohesive compositional whole made up of two broad subject categories: portrait heads and calendars. Each page of drawings operates as part of an intentional sequential arrangement that is part of the book’s structure and meaning. It is an unveiling through time. The meaning and origin of the various images remains largely undeciphered. Castle relied on multiple sources for his imagery, including books, magazines, commercial packaging, as well as his own imagination and memories. The result is a delightfully engaging work of art that demonstrates Castle’s sophisticated artistic abilities while revealing his persistent inner need for personal expression.

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Details
Title
Untitled (Sugar Honey Maid Graham Crackers Book)
Artist Life
1899–1977
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2015.46
Provenance
The artist; given to his niece, Geraldine Wade Garrow, 1930-2007, Boise, Idaho; Estate of Geraldine Wade Garrow, 2007-2014; (Karen Lennox Gallery, Chicago); sold to MIA, 2015
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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16 pp., 79 illustrations; bound with white string in cardboard covers repurposed from a green and yellow "Sugar Honey Maid" graham cracker box; thick, black brushstrokes in "h" formation on inside of front cover with two wavy, black lines above and below; first three pages feature grid of nine squares each containing an image drawn in black -- mixture of portraits, interiors, and abstractions; wavy, horizontal black lines drawn in-between squares to mimic lines of text; layout of image and "text" breaks from grid on pages 4-5; page 6-8 feature two rectangles comprised of 21 squares some with images others blank; selection of letters (Greek?) rendered above each rectangle; inside of back cover has single, abstract figure in square with wavy, black lines above and below square; not signed

Copyright © 2018 James Castle Collection and Archive LP, All rights reserved.

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