Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys (1921 - 1986) was a European artist from Germany whose artistic talents are very much appreciated and adored today. One of the main factors in his artwork that he often draws or makes installments about is the war that he was in. In 1940 he joined the military in Germany to avoid being drafted and became a pilot. After that, he was eventually captured by the British as a POW (prisoner of war). His endurance through the war and his experience of coming to terms of the kind of military that he worked for splashes out on much of his artwork.
Beuys is known for his great experimentation in all of his work, and because of this is called one of the most important german artist of the 20th century. MoMA compares him to Andy Warhol,

" His influence is comparable to that of the American artist Andy Warhol, but whereas Warhol's work features a style and imagery that is readily accessible, Beuys intentionally devised a challenging formal vocabulary, layered with meaning and metaphor. " 

Beuys was a person who felt like he needed to share his knowledge with everyone, so eventually he taught / was a professor at Dusseldorf Academy. All of the art that he made includes performance art, sculptures, installations, graphics, and music. I found one of the most interesting thing about him was that he considered everything to be art. And at one point in time, he explored pop culture and made his own band in Germany.

Here are some websites/gallery's that hold his artwork and have more information on him:


http://www.gagosian.com/artists/joseph-beuys/
http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/306