Tisch mit Aggregat [Table with Accumulator]
About this artwork
Sitting on this simple wooden table is an accumulator, a device for storing energy. The wires which attach it to two lumps of clay show that it is powered by the earth. Energy was one of the central themes in Beuys's work, often represented by the motif of the battery. Pieces of scientific apparatus appear in Beuys's work from the 1950s onwards and some of his sculptures also use working machinery. Here, science, nature and art are shown working together to create and store energy.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Joseph Beuys (1921 - 1986) German
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title:Tisch mit Aggregat [Table with Accumulator]
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date created:1958 - 1985
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materials:Wood, accumulator, clay and wire
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measurements:98.50 x 58.00 x 56.50 cm
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object type:
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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
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accession number:AR00603
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gallery:
Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys
German artist Beuys believed that art was integral to everyday life. According to Beuys his own art was shaped by an experience early in his life. As a Luftwaffe pilot during the war, he claimed that he was shot down over the Crimea and was saved by nomadic Tartars. Barely alive, he was wrapped in...