James Castle (1899–1977) created, without formal training, a remarkable and vast body of work over the course of his life in rural Idaho. Born profoundly deaf, Castle never learned to read, write, speak, sign, or lip-read, perhaps by choice. He lived within the circle of his immediate family, making artworks based on the scenes, surroundings, and imaginings of his daily life. In this major illustrated lecture, Robert Storr will consider multiple dimensions of Castle’s artistic production.

Robert Storr is curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He has organized major exhibitions on the work of Elizabeth Murray, Max Beckmann, and Gerhard Richter, among others. He was the commissioner of the 2007 Venice Biennale, the first American invited to assume this role, and is currently dean of the Yale School of Art.

Co-presented with the Berkeley Art Museum. For more information on the James Castle exhibit, visit the BAM/PFA website.