Castle’s mysterious mind; animal spirits at Muse Gallery

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

By Henry Sweets

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Some of the world’s most groundbreaking art was made by those on the fringes of society, people who had no other voice but art with which to communicate their ideas.

It’s no surprise that James Castle, who was born at the turn of the century without the ability to speak or hear, now has works showing in institutions like the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum in New York City.
Castle drew his surroundings with soot, spit and a homemade stylus on found paper.
His works are light-hearted, and hauntingly accurate in the way they capture the moods of faces or the wood grain on slats in his attic.

Castle’s father was a postmaster, and his mother a midwife in rural Garden Valley, Idaho. He refused to learn any formal means of communication, but instead copied down what he saw in his home, around his small town, and from magazines or publications. His house doubled as the town post office, which was also a social hub, so a steady stream of new material was always coming in the door.

The unique lens through which Castle saw and captured a span of “Americana,” is what makes his art so valuable, both historically and artistically. He lived as a quiet observer, who had a remarkable ability to share what that view was like, and he used a minimalist style that feels contemporary, even though he worked decades ago. Even in a small, sleepy town like Garden Valley, he provided intimate insight into what makes people tick, and how his own matchless mind grasped the world around him.

The film “James Castle: Portrait of an Artist,” will be shown at the Muse Gallery alongside recently released works of his art at the opening of the gallery’s “Rock, Paper, Scissors” show. The film will begin at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 6, followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and experts on Castle and other self-taught artists. Reservation should be made for the screening by calling the Muse gallery, 733-0555.
The show will also include some elaborate sculptures that he made with cardboard, twine, sticks and other materials. The sculptures look like the subject of his drawings come to life.

Muse will also show three contemporary artists alongside Castle who use simple forms and materials to make quiet, but profound statements.

Also in the show will be an installation sculpture by Mari Andrews, who makes sculptures out of found organic and manufactured objects like wire, wood, straw and wax. She arranges these objects in patterns and structures that mimic natural processes. Her art is a quiet catalyst for thought, akin to wandering through an old field and discovering artifacts from another time.

Andrea Merrell’s art explores the relationships between simple mathematics and the human mind. And Christopher Romer sculpts oblong wooden forms that are at once sensual and seafaring. The two artists will be included in the “Rock, Paper Scissors” show at the Muse.

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Mary Roberson paints wildlife in a contemporary style that captures the mystic feel of the west without being cliché or overstated.

In her paintings, she repeats images of animals at different scales, and uses organic, almost expressionistic hues to represent them in a spiritual light.

She begins her paintings with a palette knife and builds her oil paints up with rich textures that are sometimes divided into geometric sections. By blocking off areas of the canvas with a certain shade or texture, Roberson can paint animals at different sizes without having “too much” going on in her canvases.

The Sun Valley resident paints mainly wildlife that is native to the Jackson Hole area, such as bears, buffalo, wolves and ravens. Her art is very collectible and is represented in the permanent collection at the National Museum of Wildlife Art.

An opening reception for “Mary Roberson: The Wild,” will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, August 7, at the Diehl Gallery, 155 W. Broadway. The show will feature between 15 and 20 new works by Roberson.

James Castle  “Untitled” (interior with dresser with postmark) found paper, soot  3.25 x 5.5 inches.

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Castle’s mysterious mind; animal spirits at Muse Gallery | Planet JH News Article: Arts Beat

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