The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877

Tel 203.438.4519, Fax 203.438.0198, aldrichart.org

Ridgefield (May 2012): The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is pleased to announce Wendell Castle: Wandering Forms—Works from 1959–1979, the first major museum exhibition of the iconic American designer’s work in over twenty years, and the only one to focus exclusively on the period when he defined his inimitable style of ground-breaking sculptural furniture.

The Aldrich will celebrate the opening of Wendell Castle’s exhibition with a special preview event on Friday, October 19, 2012, from 5 to 9 pm.

The exhibition, curated by Evan Snyderman and Alyson Baker, will open to the public on October 20, 2012, and remain on view through February 20, 2013. It will coincide with Castle’s eightieth birthday and be accompanied by an illustrated monograph co-published by The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and Gregory R. Miller & Co., featuring texts by Alastair Gordon and Evan Snyderman and designed by Pandiscio Co.

The handmade pieces created by Wendell Castle in Rochester, New York, helped shape the American studio furniture movement throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and he remains one of the most important American furniture makers working today. Castle’s exploration of form and function blurred the boundaries between art, craft, and design, forever changing the way we look at furniture. Wandering Forms will survey his early works in wood and fiberglass, along with related archival materials. The exhibition will consist of more than 35 objects, including a variety of furniture forms from chairs to tables to lighting; approximately 50 drawings from Castle’s archives; and a selection of ephemera ranging from the artist’s oversized scrapbooks to video clips from his 1966 appearance on the popular TV program, “To Tell the Truth.”

Many items from renowned private collections, which have not been seen by the public in decades, will be presented alongside works from institutions such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC; Museum of Arts and Design, New York; Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, New York; and Racine Art Museum, Wisconsin.

Snyderman explains, “During this period, Wendell Castle produced some of the most dynamic work of his career. His artistic output was both prolific and exceptionally innovative, leaving an indelible imprint on the worlds of art and design. During this time, Castle was awarded three National Endowment for the Arts grants, secured a prestigious teaching position, and mounted over fifty exhibitions at major institutions.” Baker adds, “This exhibition is a celebration of Castle’s remarkable legacy, highlighting his significant contributions to twentieth-century design and revealing his influence on generations of artisans and designers.”