'Runrig' was an 'action' performed by Beuys in 1973 which related to the rotation of crops. The dating of this work suggests it was first started a decade before the 'action' was carried out and finally finished the year before it. The squares of colour on this work are taken from a paint colour chart, and they contrast greatly with the matt brown of the Braunkreuz oil paint. The artist has made the readymade element distinctly his own by the addition of his signature type of paint.
Joseph Beuys (German, 1921 - 1986)
German artist Beuys believed that art was integral to everyday life. His own art was shaped by an experience early in his life. As a Luftwaffe pilot during the war, Beuys was shot down over the Crimea and was saved by nomadic Tartars. Barely alive, he was wrapped in felt and fat which preserved his body heat, and taken to safety on sledges pulled by dogs. This incident, and these particular elements, informed much of his art, which has a redemptive, mystical and ritualistic character. Central to his work were his 'Actions', which involved teaching, audience discussion and performance. The recurrent themes were social and political. Associated with the ecological movement - he was a founder member of the Green Party - he also had a strong influence on German politics.
