Research topic: Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys , 1921-86, German artist, b. Krefeld; one of the most influential of postmodern artists. Drafted into the Luftwaffe during World War II, he was wounded several times and in 1943 was shot down over Crimea. Nearly frozen, he was found by Tatar nomads who saved his life by wrapping him in felt and fur—materials that he later often used in his work and that assumed iconic, life-affirming stature in it. He studied (1947-51) and later taught at the State Art Academy in Düsseldorf, where he was (1961-72) professor of sculpture. A member of the neo- Dada group Fluxus during... Read more