The Shop at Old Austerlitz

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It has been a while since I've posted, and it has been a very busy summer so far. One of the projects I have been working on is The Shop at Old Austerlitz for the Austerlitz Historical Society . The Society operates a beautiful property in Columbia County, New York and this is the first actual shop they have opened on the property. So I thought I'd give you a tour, and an example of what can be done with very little money, some good volunteers, and a bit of creativity.
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The Remarkable Art Furniture of Wendell Castle

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Wendell Castle produced a truly amazing body of work; his sculptures are coveted by collectors all over the world. The sculptures almost always referenced furniture and most, though not all, were quite functional. But, it was the bit of "madness" that truly made the pieces remarkable.
Born in Emporia, Kansas, he attended the University of Kansas and received degrees in fine art and sculpture. His early work was often described as "bone like" or "branchy." The ethereal nature of the pieces were unlike anything seen before and slowly people began to take notice. In 1966 he and several of his sculptures even made a guest appearance on the television game show "To Tell The Truth." 







An early Wendell Castle sketch.


Wendell had also experimented with fiberglass in the 1960's. Probably the most famous pieces being the Molar Chairs and Sofa.

A Molar chair in a Doug Meyer designed room, 1969.

Wendell Castle, 1969.

 Wendell had moved to New York City after graduation, but was unable to find an art gallery willing to show his work. After a year, he accepted a job offer teaching woodworking and furniture design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He thought it would be a two or three year stint -- he stayed in the Rochester area for the rest of his life. Here is a photo of his home in the nearby town of Scottsville, NY:

Wendell Castle's living room in Scottsville, NY.

 There was a period when Wendell created trompe l'oeil pieces, perhaps the most famous, the Ghost Clock, now residing with the Smithsonian. But for Wendell this was just a side trip, he felt that the pieces were a one-trick-pony and though they showed his incredible skill, he soon moved on.



Ghost Clock, 1985. That is not a sheet! This piece was carved from a single block of wood.

Later work became more bulbous and imposing:





The Calamari Bench in a dining room designed by Kristen McGinnis for the Kips Bay Designer Showhouse, 2013.

One of many rooms in Wendell Castles studio building.
Wendell Castle showroom in his studio.

In January of this year Wendell Castle died at his home in Scottsville, NY. The cause was complications from leukemia. He was 85.

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