Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys was a German artist, educator, performance artist, and art theorist. He is renowned for his "expanded definition of art," wherein the concept of social sculpture has the potential to reshape society and politics.

Biography of Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys was born in 1921 in Krefeld, Germany. Shortly after his birth, the family relocated to Kleve, an industrial town. Beuys attended primary school at the Katholische Volksschule and secondary school at the Staatliches Gymnasium Cleve. During his schooling, he honed his drawing abilities and received instruction in piano and cello. He also harbored interests in the natural sciences, as well as Nordic history and mythology.

In 1936, Beuys was in the Hitler Youth and attended the Nuremberg rally in September 1936 as part of this organization.

Despite initially considering a career in the natural sciences, Beuys developed an interest in sculpture during his final years of school, possibly influenced by images of Wilhelm Lehmbruck's sculptures. 

Although he initially considered a career in medicine, in 1941 Beuys volunteered for the Luftwaffe and commenced training as an aircraft radio operator. In 1942, Beuys was stationed in Crimea and served in various combat bomber units. In 1944, his plane crashed on the Crimean Front. Beuys later spun a myth surrounding the incident, claiming that he was rescued by nomadic Tatar tribesmen who treated his injuries with animal fat and felt, nursing him back to health.

However, official records indicate that Beuys remained conscious, was rescued by a German search commando, and there were no Tatars in the village at the time. After three weeks in a military hospital, Beuys, despite previous injuries, was redeployed to the Western Front in August 1944.

Following Germany's unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945, Beuys was captured in Cuxhaven the next day and interned in a British camp until his release three months later. After this, he returned to his parents' home in a suburb of Kleve.

After the war, Beuys pursued his passion for art, studying at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts. He completed his education in 1953. During the 1950s, he grappled with financial challenges and the lingering trauma of his wartime ordeals. Despite these hardships, he remained prolific, focusing on drawings and sculptural pieces. Beuys delved into unconventional materials, refining his artistic vision by exploring metaphorical and symbolic links between natural phenomena and philosophical ideologies.

In 1962, Beuys struck up a friendship with Nam June Paik, his colleague and a member of the Fluxus movement. This marked the start of his short formal association with Fluxus. While Beuys took part in several Fluxus events, it became evident that he held a distinct perspective on the economic and institutional aspects of art.

Beuys' first solo exhibition in a private gallery took place in 1965, featuring one of his most renowned performances: "How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare." 

In addition to other endeavors, Beuys founded or co-founded several political organizations. He emerged as a pacifist and a vocal critic of nuclear weapons, actively campaigning for environmental causes.