Wendell Castle

Commonly referred to as one of the founding fathers of studio furniture, Wendell Castle examines the role of material, form, and function in furniture/sculpture. Castle creates furniture that often strolls beyond the conventional borders of even early decorative furniture, placing him in a niche that has puzzled those wanting to make a specific distinction between designer and sculptor. Although he often exhibits as a sculptor, his furniture designs for residential clients and public spaces represent a distinctive investigation of the qualities and possibilities of not only wood but other materials such as fiberglass, plastics, metal all at a high level of craftsmanship.

Drawing most of his inspiration from his “what if” philosophy, Castle generates ideas in a very unconventional manner. What if a table had thirteen legs? What is a mirror had more than one perspective? What if? What if? Castle has also drawn inspiration from Pop Art of the 1960’s as well as both modern and contemporary Italian design, going on, in the later 1970s and 1980s to explore the possibilities of Surrealism and his trompe l'œil series. Currently he draws upon the assorted possibilities of Postmodern design.