Sculpture Straddling Furniture: Wendell Castle Remastered at New York’s Museum of Arts & Design

by John Morris Dixon | January 11th, 2016

Portrait of Wendell Castle seated on ‘Long Night’ (2011), 2013 (above). Photo by Adrien Millot; courtesy of Friedman Benda and the artist Is this a sculpture or is it a chair? For objects created by the venerable craftsman/sculptor Wendell Castle, it’s hard to say. That question can be pondered at the ample selection of his works on view through February 28 at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design, whose very name leaves the question unanswered. Since most of Mr. Castle’s works are one-of-a-kind, executed by hand, they seem to belong in the realm of sculpture. But the exhibition includes some recent Castle products that can be produced in multiples – thanks to 3D modeling and computer-controlled milling – thus edging further into the domain of furniture. The museum defines Mr. Castle himself, who began making these things in 1958, as “a master furniture maker, designer, sculptor and educator” whose career …