Joseph Beuys
Save the Woods. Overcome Party Dictatorship Now. 1971 Poster on paper ARTIST ROOMS, Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Acquired jointly through the d’Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The Art Fund 2008. Photo courtesy Anthony d’Offay Ltd. Estate of Joseph Beuys/DACS 2008.
Beuys Is Here
Sculpture Object Action Revolution
German artist Joseph Beuys (1921–86) is widely recognised as one of the most influential and extraordinary artists of the twentieth century.
Artist, educator, political and social activist, Beuys’s philosophy proposed the healing power and social function of art, in which everyone can participate and benefit. The works in this exhibition provide an opportunity to experience this expanded concept of art as he understood it. Collectively, the exhibition presents the ‘constellation of ideas’ central to Beuys’s practice, revealing his ideas on zoology, ecology, homeopathy, economics, politics, social activism, teaching and learning. Beuys incorporated into his work various materials such as felt, fat and metal, selected because of their inherent properties such as insulation, conduction and protection which all have associations with Beuys’s ideas.
The exhibition is largely selected from the ARTIST ROOMS collection and brings together well-known sculptures, drawings, vitrines and a remarkable selection of posters recalling live actions and events. Works include Fat Chair (1964–85) and, in Gallery 2, a single major work Scala Napoletana (1985) is shown for the first time in the UK. In addition nearly twenty notable multiples are included within the exhibition selected from National Galleries of Scotland. The multiple was a form of communication for Beuys – a means by which he could share and distribute his ideas beyond the confines of the artworld.
Joseph Beuys
Scala Napoletana. Neopolitan Ladder.1985 Wood, steel wire and lead. ARTIST ROOMS, Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Acquired jointly through the d’Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The Art Fund 2008. Photo courtesy Anthony d’Offay Ltd. Estate of Joseph Beuys/DACS 2008.
Beuys Is Here is the inaugural exhibition of Joseph Beuys’s work in the context of ARTIST ROOMS. It seeks to illustrate the function of creativity within the social, economic and political climate and reflects the
multi-faceted nature of Beuys’s life and work.
Guardian preview
Art Review piece
Book
Beuys Is Here
A newly published pocket-sized book, Beuys Is Here, explores with readers the expanded concept of art as understood by Beuys. This ‘battery of ideas’ includes a series of short contributions from artists, specialists and commentators. Contributors include Richard Wentworth, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Richard Demarco and Anthony d’Offay.
£5 – Available from the DLWP shop by calling 01424 229 111.
Multiples
As part of the Joseph Beuys exhibition we are pleased to offer a rare opportunity to buy Felt Postcard and Wood Postcard, an artist multiple (unlimited edition).
£10
Joseph Beuys, Felt & Wood Postcards, Scottish National Gallery of
Modern Art.
Click here to visit the Beuys Is Here Shop pages with a whole host of great items available from the De La Warr Pavilion Shop during the exhibition.
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ARTISTS ROOMS
ARTIST ROOMS is a modern and contemporary art collection jointly owned and managed by National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. ARTIST ROOMS on Tour with The Art Fund is an inspired partnership with the UK’s independent art charity enabling displays of ARTIST ROOMS across the UK.
Photography courtesy of Nigel Green