Joseph Beuys is a representative of the galaxy of the most iconic artists of the 20th century, standing at the origins of postmodernism. Joseph Beuys is a member of the Fluxus art movement and a master of outrageousness. The biography of the master is filled with non-standard events. The artist’s work includes a huge array of works: paintings, photographs, graphic works, installations and performances.

Joseph Beuys today is a heritage of world culture. The master believed that there is an artist in every person. He argued that there are no boundaries between art and life, and he proved this with all his work. He talked about pictures of a dead hare, fought and tamed a wild coyote, planned to plant thousands of oak trees along the road, made sculptures from fat and felt, and did a lot of other strange and delightful things.

Biography of Joseph Beuys

Already in his school years, teachers noted the boy’s extraordinary giftedness in drawing. And it’s good that his penchant for art was fully encouraged: in addition to painting, he studied playing musical instruments and comprehended sculpture, read a lot.

As a teenager, Boyce became interested in medicine and zoology, and even cared for circus animals. The boy was not spared political realities either. In 1936, the teenager became a member of the Hitler Youth movement. Perhaps this happened because membership in this organization was mandatory. In the year of graduation from school, the future artist voluntarily went to the front as part of the Luftwaffe.

After the end of the war, Beuys was captured and sent to the British camp, from which he returned home in Kleve a couple of months later. After recovering from his wounds, the master decided to devote himself to art and continued his education. For several years, Josef studied in Düsseldorf with the outstanding modernist sculptor Ewald Matare, whose work was declared “degenerate” by the Nazis.

Career

In 1961, the master became a professor at the Dusseldorf Academy, but eleven years later he was fired. This caused a tsunami of protest among students and critics. In 1978, the dismissal was declared illegal, but at that time Beuys was no longer interested in a teaching career. All this time the artist continued to create his masterpieces. The stages of his work are clearly visible.

In the 1960s, the master stood at the origins of the famous “Fluxus”, the participants of which were the founder of video art Nam June Paek and Yoko Ono. It was during this period that the artist’s corporate image appeared: an “eternal” felt hat, a fishing vest and a raincoat. In November 1965, a personal exhibition of the genius opened in a private gallery. At the same time, the audience was presented with the most epic performance of the author – “How to explain pictures to a dead hare.” Only in the 1970s the master’s work received international recognition.

In total, during his life, the German master held seven dozen actions, almost one and a half hundred solo exhibitions, created thousands of graphic works and many hundreds of installations. He gave lectures, organized actions, took part in discussions and symposiums. Joseph Beuys died on January 23, 1986 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The cause of death of an outstanding artist was heart problems.