By James Caudle, Hammered Lead
Location: Clinton National Bank building, Nataz Restaurant, corner of 1 W. Main St. and Post Office Square
James Caudle was a prolific artist. He became famous for his unique ability in working with the rare lead technique called lead repousee. He sculpted lead by hammering sheets of it into beautiful abstract human forms. He claimed that the ductility and easy response of lead make it in a sense, his ‘clay’. In his years of using this metal, he explored many ideas, some abstract, but seldom did he leave the human image as a principal theme. He exhibited his sculptures across the country in galleries and museums, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Wadsworth Atheneum. Mr. Caudle taught studio art at the American University in Washington, D.C., with famed Washington colorists Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland. He also worked as an art teacher at the North Haven High School for many years.