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http://suebellyank.com/tag/joseph-beuys/
German artist Joseph Beuys is possibly my favourite artist EVER. Everything about him- his life and his work excites me. A true rebel who spent much of his remarkable life pushing boundaries, being naughty and suggesting that 'everyone is an artist'. The part that I love most about Beuys is the scandal that surrounds his involvement in WWII, the very same war my grandfathers fought in.
He told and retold stories of having crashed his Stuka bomber in the Crimea, after which he was rescued by nomadic Tartars who saved his life by rubbing him with fat and wrapping him in felt to warm his broken body. There is no evidence to support this version of events, surrounding the ordeal with a juicy air of mystery. True or not, Beuys used this as the basis for many of his works, questioning notions of truth in personal and historical narrative. You can read a brief biography here. Please do, he is truly fascinating.
His works are vast and varied referencing many a Modern Art movement.
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I Like America and America Likes Me 1974  Joseph Beuys - Infiltration for Piano 1966 / The Skin 1984"... everything in the scale in the possibilities is involved from noise to concept,the sound of the piano is trapped. The piano is an instrument to produce sound, when not in use is silent but still has sound potential. When no sound is possible the piano is condemned to silence. |
What do you think? Booking tickets to London, Paris New York to see his work in the flesh?
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Thank you SO much for your words of encouragement, advice and solidarity.
xo em