German sculptor, draughtsman, creator of action-performances, political leader and teacher. Born at Krefeld, but spent most of his early life in or near Kleve. In 1940-45 he was in the military service as fighter pilot. When his plane crashed over the Crimea in a snowstorm in 1943, badly wounded, Tartars saved his life by wrapping him in felt and fat, materials that came to figure prominently in his later work. Studied 1947-51 at the Düsseldorf Academy. His interest in anthroposophy, mythology, religion, botany and zoology led him to evolve a rich and complex symbolism, including archetypal animal images of hares, sheep, swans, bees, etc. in his works. Moved from Kleve to Düsseldorf in 1961 and became professor of sculpture at Düsseldorf Academy. From 1962 participated in the Fluxus movement with Paik and Maciunas, and in 1963 started to give action-performances using such elements as dead hares, fat and felt. In 1967 became politically active and founded the Free International School of Creativity, the German Students' Party, and in 1971 the "Organisation für direkte Demokratie durch Volksabstimmung" (Freie Volksiniative e.V.), and expounded their principles in discourse-discussions. Conflicts with authority over his teaching methods culminated in 1972 in his dismissal from the Düsseldorf Academy, followed by a strike of his students and widespread protests. As an artist, teacher and thinker, had a profound influence on subsequent generations of artists. Participated at "documenta" "3", "5", and "7", in Kassel. Retrospective exhibitions of Beuys' works have been held at the Guggenheim Museum (1980), Martin-Gropius Bau, Berlin (1988), Kunsthaus, Zürich (travelled to Madrid), (1993-94), drawings retrospective, Philadelphia Museum of Art and MoMA (1993-94)
