About this artwork

Beuys began producing works in multiples in the 1960s, partly as a way to combat the elitism of the art world. This is probably his most famous multiple. It has its origins in the performance 'Action the Dead Mouse / Isolation Unit' of 1970, where Beuys wore a felt suit with lengthened arms and legs, like the one seen here. He described the suit as an extension of the sculptures he made with felt, where the material's insulating properties were integral to the meaning of the work. Beuys intended this concept of warmth to extend beyond the material to encompass what he described as "spiritual warmth or the beginning of an evolution".

Updated before 2020

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  • artist:
    Joseph Beuys (1921 - 1986) German
  • title:
    Felt Suit
  • date created:
    1970
  • materials:
    Felt and wood
  • measurements:
    166.00 x 66.00 x 26.00 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:
    AR00092
  • gallery:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys