Joseph Beuys

 


Joseph Beuys 

Born In krefeld but moved to kleve, an industrial town near the dutch border and schooled there.
Experienced the Nazi Book Burning in Kleve 1933.
1936, membership into the Hitler Youth.
Showed intrest in natural sciences from 15 and was going to take the route of medicine.
But in his last years became influences by Willheml Lehmbrucks Sculptures, and became a sculptor himself, 1941.
Later in 1941, he volunteered for luftwaffe(aerial warfare branch for Germans in wwII) and began his military training as a aircraft radio operater, whilst also attending lectures in zoology and biology.
1944 his plane was shoot down and crashed, his recovery story was very contravseral as he recalled being rescued by Tatar tribesman and nursed back to health by being wrapped in animal fat and felt.Served as a powerful myth and the origin for beuys artisitic identity.
Day After German surrended, Beuys was help captive in cuxhaven and taken to a british internment camp, where he spent 3 months.

I think that Joseph Beuys was a meaningful artist who could also be percieved as a teacher,political activist and performer.I this Beuys experiences led him to think differently to other artists which is why i think he clung his work to felt and fat due to other assosiations that he cannot understand in his head, therefore pscyoligcally created a reality for himself as a coping mechanism.I like his work because it has a raw militant feel to it, through the use of felt and the dull browns and greys that he used.