Joseph Beuys, Bexhill on Sea

About

Among the most important European artists of the twentieth century, Joseph Beuys was known for performances and sculptural installations that explored myth, politics and man’s relationship to the natural world. He saw creativity as central to human existence, and his art was rooted in processes of change and transformation. His sculptures were often based on found objects which he invested with symbolic associations derived from science, anthropology and his own life.

This exhibition at the De La Warr Pavilion presented the ‘constellation of ideas’ central to Beuys’s practice, revealing his ideas on zoology, ecology, homeopathy, economics, politics, social activism, teaching and learning. Beuys incorporated into his work various materials such as felt, fat and metal, selected because of their inherent properties such as insulation, conduction and protection, all have associations with Beuys’s ideas. Here were brought together well-known sculptures, drawings, vitrines and a remarkable selection of posters recalling live actions and events.

Works on show included Fat Chair 1964–85 and, in Gallery 2, the major work Scala Napoletana 1985 was shown for the first time in the UK. In addition nearly twenty notable multiples were included within the exhibition, selected from National Galleries of Scotland.