Here we offer an extensive and significant collection of over 360 announcement cards, invite cards, publicity cards, announcement leaflets and other postcards by Joseph Beuys.
The collection currently consists of 324 cards and documents from July 1964 to artist’s unexpected death in January 1986 and a number of additional posthumous cards. The vast majority of these cards are directly related to solo exhibitions – of which Beuys had around 180 during his life time – hence this is a large proportion of all the Beuys invitation cards issued.
Bonn: Stadtisches Kunstmuseum, 1984
10 x 21cm, 6pp announcement leaflet with a b/w image of Beuys installing Das Ende des 20 Jahrhunderts (1983) in b/w on the front. Internally details of the Beuys show along with two other exhibitions by Oskar Schlemmer and Jans-Peter Adamski. One b/w image of a painting from the museum's permanent collection also. This example is signed in red felt tipped pen by Beuys over the image. VG+.
Koln: Galerie Dreiseitel, n.p. 15 x 10.5cm, 2pp artist postcard displaying the work (and edition) Vogel from 1952 by Beuys in colour, verso gallery details. The card has been signed by Beuys but the red crayon has faded over time. Thee card has been pasted to a card in the past and has a glue remnant extant on the back else VG.
Bern, Switzerland: Art-Fusion-Edition, 1986 21 x 15cm, 4pp. Announcement/subscription leaflet for the printed documentation of the collaboration initiated by Ueli Fuchser between Joseph Beuys, Kaii Higashiyama, and Andy Warhol where three drawings which were faxed to each other as a pioneering art event using the fax. Three small b/w images of each artist and the cover of the book reproduced on the front. VG+.
Boston: Gallery East at the Art Institute of Boston, 1985 15 x 10.5cm, 2pp announcement card with an image of "Without the rose we cannot do it" (gallery translation) on the front in b/w. verso gallery details including two film showings of documentaries by and of Beuys. VG+.
Kassel: FIU, n.d. (1985) 21 x 10cm, 12pp (opens to 120 x 21cm). Promotional leaflet for the Beuys installation at Kassel - one side opens to a long poster, the other has five b/w images of Beuys and volunteers planting the oak trees and the final transformation of the urban landscape. Text in German. The brochure has been double stamped over a large image of a mature oak tree with the basalt stones and below which Beuys has signed in pencil. VG+.
Schaffhausen": Halle fur Neue Kunst, 1985
21.4 x 10.5cm, 8pp. Promotional card for the museum created from the former textile factory. The text on the card is in English and German and notes the 5,000 square metres contains major works by Andre, Juss, Kounellis, LeWitt, Long, Mangold, Merz, Nauman, Ryman and Weiner. Four b/w images of the installations on the inside and on the outside a wrap around image of the Beuys installation Das Kapital.
This card is signed in red felt tipped pen on the front. VG+.
Wangen im Allgäu: FIU, 1985
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp promotional card listing the various Beuys and FIU publications available and promoting the new book "Ein kurzes erstes Bild von dem konkreten Wirkungsfelde de Sozialen Kunst". Printed brown on cream thin card, there is a photograph of Beuys and others at a panel discussion. VG+.
Waldorfschule: Freie Volkshochschule Argental, 1985 21 x 15cm, 4pp announcement and programme printed on paper for a public discussion with Beuys and Michael Ende on ant and politics. One b/w portrait of each artist internally. One horizontal crease remaining from a past fold else VG.
MIchael Ende
