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Weird Sister
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? DACS 2008

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Weird Sister 1953 - 1962
  • Artist Rooms
This painting has been made on a piece of acetate using two types of oil, including the 'Braunkreuz' oil Beuys often used. Literally translated as 'Brown cross', this was a household paint commonly used for walls and floors. It was frequently used by the artist from the late 1950s when he wished to paint with a neutral material with sculptural qualities. The female figures in Beuys's work are usually shown in active positions, while male figures are static. Here, the two figures are crouching or squatting, as if ready to spring into action. The style of both the figures and the background also reflects Beuys's association of women with fluidity and movement

Glossary Open

Braunkreuz

A medium invented, and first used, by the German artist Joseph Beuys in the late 1950s. It literally translates as `brown cross?. Composed of a mixture of paint and blood, it evokes images of rust, dirt, excrement and blood. As a term it has associations with Christianity, Nazism, National Socialism, war and the occult. By varying the qualities of the component parts, Beuys could experiment with the colour, density and texture of this unusual material.

Braunkreuz

Details

  • Acc. No. AR00100
  • Medium Pencil and oil on acetate
  • Size 26.00 x 26.00 cm
  • Credit ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008

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