Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys was born in Germany in 1921. In 1940 Beuys joined the army during World War II. Once he experienced the horror of war he decided to dedicate his life to his love of art. He is most famous for his performance art but also took part in sculptures, and installations as well as "contributions to the theory of art and academic teaching, and social- and political activities."

The piece to the right was the first piece of Beuys that i was introduced to during our class. I first looked at the piece with confusion, thinking "wow this is just a piano covered in felt" but once learning the story behind it and what Beuys had to go through growing up i began to see the art in a new light. And started to enjoy his pieces that dealt with war and this basic material most take for granted but many in war would cherish in order to keep war.