Joseph Beuys

Born in Krefeld, Germany, in 1921. Died in Dusseldorf in 1986. Sculptor, draftsman, performance and installation artist, printmaker, and teacher. Studied and taught at the Kunstakademie Dsseldorf, later bringing his ideas to larger audiences trough public lectures and ritualistic theatrical performances. Influenced by Dada and Fluxus, his radical approach abolished boundaries between art and life, creating an “expanded concept of art” that included art as a conduit for social revolution and the notion thar any person could activate his or her creative powers. Recurring themes include unifying diametric aspects of the universe, such as man and nature, East and West, and intuition and intellect, aswell as means of communication and the search for healing. Devoted to the broad dissemination of his ideas, editions were critical to his practice. Created first edition in 1965, completing more than 600 prints and multiples, including found objects and organic materials, photographic and hand-drawn prints, and mass-produced ephemera related to his performances and published in limited and unlimited editions. Worked with a variety of European publishers, mainly in Germany, including Edition René Block, Berlin; Edition Staeck, Heidelberg; and Edition Schellmann, Munich and New York.