Joseph Beuys : actions, vitrines, environments /
Mark Rosenthal, with Sean Rainbird and Claudia Schmuckli.
- Houston : New Haven, Conn. : Menil Collection ; Distributed by Yale University Press, c2004.
- 224 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 31 cm.
Catalog of an exhibition at Menil Collection, Houston, Oct. 8, 2004-Jan. 2, 2005 and Tate Modern, London, Feb. 4-May 2, 2005.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 202-213) and index.
Foreword / Josef Helfenstein and Vicente Todol.Ì Acknowledgements / Mark Rosenthal. Joseph Beuys: Staging Sculpture / Mark Rosenthal. At The End of the Twentieth Century: Installing After the Act / Sean Rainbird. Chronology and Selected Exhibition History. Bibliography / Claudia Schmuckli.
Publisher description: An in-depth look at the fascinating sculptural works of one of the twentieth century's most innovative artists Joseph Beuys (1921-1986)-a German sculptor and performance artist--became one of the most influential figures in modern and contemporary art. His charismatic presence, extraordinary life, and unconventional artistic style (incorporating ritualized movement and sound, and materials such as fat, felt, earth, honey, blood, and even dead animals) gained him international notoriety during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Beuys's innovative influence is particularly felt in the field of sculpture, whose definition he expanded to encompass performance art, vitrine cases, and site-specific environments. This beautifully illustrated book investigates Beuys's sculpture, arguably the most fundamental portion of his artistic work, as well as his extraordinary influence. Featured objects include a stunning selection of Beuys's remarkable vitrines-sly cousins of standard museum presentations, featuring both hand-made and found objects serving as "exhibitions" on Beuys's own topics; blackboards on which he recorded his lectures and performances; room-sized environments; and many other sculptural projects that frequently served as physical documentation for Beuys's performances. With a comprehensive chronology of Beuys's activities as an artist and activist, this book is essential for those interested in the life, work, and legacy of one of the art world's most intriguing figures.
0300104960 (Yale University Press) 0939594587 (Menil Collection)