Joseph Beuys was a German artist (1921-1986) who extended the definition of art through the use of unconventional objects. Beuy's participation in the Hitler Youth and Luftwaffe during World War 2 seems to heavily influence his exploration through art. His artwork is immersed with concepts of humanism, social philosophy, and anthroposophy. By using a chalk drawing of a blackboard showing the chemical formula for making soap, Beuys created “Virgin” as a metaphor for cleansing society of all impurities. The final installation of this piece contained not only the blackboard, but a table and chair, a single light bulb, and a bar of soap on the table.
As a sculptor, performance artist, printmaker, politician and teacher, Beuys disapproved of artists who strictly did panel paintings and sculpture. He is know for his statement, “each person is an artist.” He was not saying that everyone is a painter or sculpture necessarily, but believed that every person had potential to be creatively active. Because of this belief, Beuys engaged in an idea of “social sculpture,” creating art which contained a social, cultural, and political function.
Joseph Beuys seemed to be a part of the conceptual art movement. His art contrasted an academic viewpoint that art should be attractive and celebrated for its beauty. Instead of duplicating what the eye sees, Bueys used unconventional objects that invoked certain feelings of social issues.
Some artists influenced by Joseph Beuys are Miroslaw Balka, Rebecca Horn, and Piero Manzoli. Beuys' work was most heavily influenced by Achilles Moortgat and Wilhelm Lehmbruck.
http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=76821
http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/show-list/artist/b/?search=Joseph%20Beuys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Beuys
