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Copyright estate of the artist | | | Beuys, Joseph (1921 - 1986) Germany
Plight Element, 1985
Seven felt rolls with loose felt padding; 147 x 330 x 41 cm Fluxus
UID 102-55
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Biography
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)
Exhibitions
Joseph Beuys PLIGHT Anthony d'Offay Gallery, United Kingdom 09-10-1985 ~ 16-11-1985
Joseph Beuys with Fat and Felt Fuji Television Gallery, Japan 29-06-1993 ~ 30-09-1993
Building/Unbuilding/Inhabit - works of The Berardo Collection Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB), Portugal 29-04-2005 ~ 15-01-2006
Joseph Beuys, Skulpturen und Objekte Martin-Gropious-Bau, Germany 20-02-1988 ~ 01-05-1988
Joseph Beuys, Natur Materie Form Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany 30-11-1999 ~ 09-02-1992
Nam June Paik – Joseph Beuys – Wolf Vostell Sintra Museu de Arte Moderna - Colecção Berardo (SMAM-CB), Portugal 17-02-2002 ~ 29-09-2002
The Berardo Collection Sintra Museu de Arte Moderna - Colecção Berardo (SMAM-CB), Portugal 17-05-1997 ~ 31-08-1997
Territórios Singulares na Colecção Berardo Sintra Museu de Arte Moderna - Colecção Berardo (SMAM-CB), Portugal 22-10-2002 ~ 28-02-2003
Novas Salas Pop, Fluxus, Foto-Realismo Sintra Museu de Arte Moderna - Colecção Berardo (SMAM-CB), Portugal 09-06-1997 ~ 28-02-1998
Sin Título (el arte del siglo XX en la Colección Berardo) Fundación Pedro Barrié de la Maza, Spain 29-06-2006 ~ 26-11-2006
Fragmentos Arte Contemporânea na Colecção Berardo MACE, Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Elvas, Portugal 24-09-2010 ~ 23-01-2011
Bibliography
Joseph Beuys: Ideas and Actions, 1988 Published by Hirsch & Adler Modern
Sin Título (el arte del siglo XX en la Colección Berardo), 2006 Published by Fundación Pedro Barrié de la Maza ISBN 8495892529
Territórios Singulares na Colecção Berardo, 2002 Published by Sintra Museu de Arte Moderna - Colecção Berardo ISBN 972974288X
The Berardo Collection – Sintra Museum of Modern Art, 1996 Published by Sintra Museu de Arte Moderna - Colecção Berardo ISBN 9729739105
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