Joseph Beuys: The Reader

By: Viola Michely and Claudia Mesch

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Synopsis: Joseph Beuys is one of the most legendary figures of twentieth century art and his work and ideas continue to impact on artists today. An enigmatic, self-styled 'shaman', strikingly memorable in his trademark hat and jerkin, he has attained almost mythical status. This reader brings together the crucial texts on Beuys to look at the most contentious reception ever accorded a postwar artist. Here in one volume are key essays by prominent artists and critics from North America and Europe, in a collection which foregrounds the full scope of Beuys work across performance, drawing, painting, sculpture and multiples. Featuring Benjamin Buchloh's seminal essay 'Beuys: the Twilight of the Idol' and texts by other influential commentators and artists including Rosalind Krauss, Irit Rogoff, Peter Bürger and Vera Frenkel, the volume also includes essays translated for the first time into English as well as two discussions, previously unpublished outside of Germany, with Beuys himself. This will be the essential text for any student of Beuys and for all those interested in postwar art, the cult of the artist, and art's engagement with politics and society. The volume also includes a useful chronology of key events and exhibitions in the life of this most charismatic figure.