Joseph Beuys

For Felt Sculpture

About this artwork

This distinctive image of a rectangle with an angled shape at the bottom is seen in several of Beuys's drawings. Rather than simply being just an abstract shape, the image is intended to create a sense of warmth, as the viewer imagines the chunky pieces of felt. Fat has also been used to make this drawing, the other element Beuys liked to work with. Like felt, fat conjures up a sensation of insulation and warmth. Both materials also refer to the body, as felt is made by compressing fibres or hair.

Updated before 2020

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  • artist:
    Joseph Beuys (1921 - 1986) German
  • title:
    For Felt Sculpture
  • date created:
    1964
  • materials:
    4 works on paper, oil paint and fat, on board
  • measurements:
    oil and fat on paper: 25.70 x 37.70 mm support (lower centre): 26.00 x 37.80 mm (lower right): 25.00 x 37.80 mm (upper): 39.80 x 27.90 mm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
  • accession number:
    AR00116
  • gallery:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys