Joseph Beuys
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Joseph Beuys (pronounced "boyce") (May 12, 1921–January 23, 1986) was a German artist who made arts in many forms including sculpture, performance art, video art, and installations. He was one of the most important artists in the second half of the 20th century.
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[change] Early life
Beuys was born in Krefeld and grew up in the near-by city Kleve. He first saw modern art when visiting the studio of Achilles Moortgat. He was interested, but studied medicine. With the beginning of World War II, he became a soldier in the German air force. There, he was a rear gunner (gunner in the back) in a military airplane.
Beuys often used the materials felt and fat. Many people believe that this is because of something that happened in the war. Beuys was shot down while flying over the Crimea and was rescued by Tatars. They kept him warm by covering him with fat and wrapping him in felt.
In actual fact, he was a radio operator on the military planes and, after a horrific crash, was rescued by a German commander. However he later said that he piloted the plane before The Crash and was rescued by Tartars who wrapped him in felt and fat to keep him alive because there is no denyng that his wounds were serious.
[change] Development as artist
After the war Beuys studied at the academy in Düsseldorf from 1946 to 1951. For most of the 1950s he was mostly drawing. In 1961 he became professor of sculpture there, but was fired in 1972 because he said that his classes must be open to anybody who wanted to take them. He thought that classes should be free and he worked in his classes with everybody who wanted. His students protested when he was fired, so he was allowed to hold his studio there, but he still lost his job.
In 1962 Beuys met the "Fluxus movement". They made art together by drawing, sculpting, making music, and literature. Beuys became a member of the group but he was more interested in performances. He believed that art has a larger role to play in society.
[change] Politics
Beuys believed that arts has an important rule in society. His first problems with politicians were when he lost his job as professor. In the 1980s he was part of the Peace Movement and protested against nuclear missiles in Germany. He was one of the first members of the Green Party in the 1980s.
[change] Works
Famous works are for example:
- Felt Suit (1970), a felt suit exhibited on a coat hanger;
- the performance piece Coyote, "I Like America and America Likes Me" (1974), Beuys wore felt and carried a shepherd's staff and stayed in a room with a coyote for five days;
- sculpture Fat Corner, fat piled into the corner of a space, left to melt and turn rancid over many days.
- How To Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare (1965), he walked around with his face covered in honey and gold leaf, carrying a dead hare which he talked with, explaining the pictures before them.
In 1979, a large retrospective of Beuys' work at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City confirmed his reputation as one of the most important artists of his time. He died in 1986 in Düsseldorf.
[change] Pop cultural references
The web comic Cat And Girl makes frequent reference to Joseph Beuys, including his art (reference 1 reference 2) and cultural references.
