Beuys often utilised the fabric felt in his work. For him it represents protection and preserving energy by preventing it from being dissipated and lost. Beuys explained the character of his felt pieces, such as `Felt Angle?, as follows: ?These felt objects? share common meanings and intentions, both physical and symbolic: felt as an insulator, as a protective covering against other influences, or conversely as a material that permits infiltration from outside influences. Then there is the warmth character, the greyness which serves to emphasise the colours that exist in the world by a psychological after-image effect, and the silence as every sound is absorbed and muffled.?
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.