Untitled (Kaleidoscope book)

James Castle

20th century

Soot and soot wash drawings on found beige paper, in beige paper covers, bound with white cotton string

Minneapolis Institute of Art

For this undated handmade book, Castle created a series of graphically complex “kaleidoscope” drawings, so named because they emulate the visual effects of a kaleidoscope, an optical instrument composed of a cylinder, multiple mirrors, and loose beads or bits of colored glass. As one gazes into a kaleidoscope and turns the rotating cylinder, light entering from the other end is reflected among the mirrors and loose materials, creating an infinite array of symmetrical patterns. Castle was fascinated by the abstract geometric configurations of the kaleidoscope (he owned several) and adapted its effects for his own invented composition