We have just heard Len Castle died late last week. Back in the 1970s the Dowse Art Gallery, as it was then, received a letter from Len Castle. It asked whether or not we would mind if he changed out one of his ceramics that we had selected for a group show. Mind? The man was one of the two most influential clay artists of the time and there he was seeking the opinion of someone who had only been in the job six months. Later we would learn that this humility showed the understated confidence of many great artists. The inner calm that allows them to make the new and act like the wise old. There will be many, many better informed words written about Len Castle over the next few months, but we just wanted to say what a pleasure it was meet the man all those years ago and get to know a small part of his very significant work.
Image: Press Moulded Blossom Vase by Len Castle
