Art by James Castle, (1899-1977)

James Castle lived most of his life on the family farm in rural Idaho and used paper the family was going to throw away--newspapers, butcher paper, and other otherwise to have been disposed of materials--in which and on whice he made his art. (pictured on the left is a poor photo of a representative Castle, if there is such a thing, taken at a Castle retrospective at the Berkeley Art Museum, 2010.)

Many of his drawings were made with a stick dipped in a concoction of soot and saliva.

His stuff's been shown in museums all around the world, is collected by big-time institutions and private collectors, and now sells for plenty wampum. Pretty good for a boy born deaf and who never learned to read, write, speak, sign, or lip-read.

Five days ago, three bundles of his art work were found in the Boise, Idaho home, where Castle died in 1977, by the new owner, Jeannie Schmidt, who bought the home from Castle's niece in 1996. Four years later, Schmidt found 150 pieces of art hidden in the bedroom ceiling, much of it made in Castle's most fecund period, the 1930's. She claims the art belongs to her and that the Castle family threw a party with pizza and beer just before "the rotten old house sold because they were happy to have it off their hands", even giving pieces of Castle's art away to party guests.

An entity named The Castle Foundation, of which remaining Castle relatives may or may not be beneficiaries of Castle's fairly new financial status in the art marketplace, is now suing to get the art back, claiming the foundation is the rightful owner. Apparently a lot of money is involved.

Castle's niece, who sold the house to Schmidt, is dead as is Castle himself.

"In this case, the true owner of the art is James Castle," one of the lawyers has said. "What was James Castle thinking? He may not have wanted anyone to have that art."