About this artwork

Food was an important medium for Beuys. Honey was probably the edible item he used most frequently, but his sculptures and 'actions' also included chocolate, butter, sausages and fish. Like the thick wedges of fat he was fond of using, food would degrade over time. This aspect of change and decay inherent in the material was part of its attraction to the artist, meaning that the final form of his sculptures was not fixed. In this collage Beuys has used a small fish mounted on a piece of fish skin. Fish has the added aspect of being a symbol of Christ.

Updated before 2020

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  • artist:
    Joseph Beuys (1921 - 1986) German
  • title:
    Untitled
  • date created:
    1980
  • materials:
    Zinc, glass and fish skin on cardboard
  • measurements:
    78.50 x 65.00 x 15.00 cm
  • 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:
    AR00627
  • gallery:
  • subject:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys