The essential Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) was a groundbreaking and influential artist of the twentieth century, known for challenging traditional art boundaries with his philosophy of "Everyone is an artist." His innovative creative process transformed unconventional materials like felt, fat, honey, and wax into expressive media. Renowned as the most olfactory artist in history, Beuys favored the pungent and decaying over the polished aesthetics preferred by societal elites. His radical goals included promoting direct democracy, ensuring free access to education, and restructuring the economy for ecological sustainability. The book presents an imaginary exhibition of Beuys's work, free from the logistical constraints of real exhibitions. It offers a comprehensive survey of his artistic output across various mediums—drawings, sculptures, environments, and printed works—arranged chronologically from 1945 to 1985. This structure mirrors the evolution of Beuys's artistic voice, transitioning from soliloquies to dialogues as a teacher and the impactful language of his public lectures. Alain Borer's introductory essay, "A Lament for Joseph Beuys," encapsulates the complexity of Beuys's oeuvre and connects it to his artistic and social contexts.