Part 1 of 5 Art History Lectures Celebrating the Centenary of Beuys’ birth
Presented by Victoria Martino
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
6:30 PM
Individual tickets: $14/19
Born in the northwestern German town of Krefeld, and raised in Kleve, Joseph Beuys was the only child of a Catholic middle-class merchant family. A gifted student, Joseph showed a particular aptitude for drawing and music. His ambition to become a medical doctor was cut short by the outbreak of WWII. Beuys volunteered for the Luftwaffe, and in 1944 his plane was shot down over the Crimean Front in Ukraine. Subsequently deployed to the Western Front, he was captured by British forces and sent to an internment camp, where he spent the final months of the war.
Join art historian Victoria Martino in a fascinating five-week art history lecture series, celebrating the centenary of Beuys’ birth (May 12, 1921).
Joseph Beuys (1921–1986)—sculptor, painter, draughtsman, conceptual artist, teacher, theorist, philosopher, and political activist—ranks among the most radical and revolutionary artists of the 20th century. A charismatic, compelling, and controversial creator of objects and ideas, his imagination inspired and influenced the trajectory of thought and theory up to our time.
From his provocative “Actions” of the ’60s and ’70s, to his massive environmental project, 7000 Oaks, Beuys dedicated his life and work to the causes of ecological, economic, and political reform. His anti-authoritarian approach galvanized all strata of society.
Drawing upon the factual and imaginal realms of alchemy, anthroposophy, botany, mythology, and sociobiology, Beuys proved conclusively that the purpose and power of art extend into all areas of life. His environmental and social concerns are as relevant today as they were in his own lifetime.
Martino, an internationally recognized curator, critic, and scholar of 20th century art, who lived and worked in Vienna during the 1990s, was personally drawn into the controversy that raged through the European art world in the years following the death of Beuys.
The lecture will be livestreamed via Zoom webinar. Ticket holders will receive a link before the lecture. Following the lecture, ticket holders will have 48-hour access to a recording.