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.
KREUZ + ZEICHEN. DAS KREUZ ALS UNIVERSALZEICHEN BEI BEUYS. 1986. BEUYS’ LAST EXHIBITION BEFORE HIS SUDDEN DEATH
Ratingen: Stadtmuseum Ratingen, 1986
10.5 x 21cm, 2pp announcement card for Beuys' last ever exhibition during his lifetime - he suddenly died of a heart attack on 23 January 1986 - only two weeks after the opening of the show. Text only design. VG+.
IS IT ABOUT A BICYCLE? 1986.
NYC: Marisa Del Re Gallery, 1986
13.8 x 13.2cm, 2pp announcement card for the exhibition that began only 7 days before Joseph Beuys suddenly died of a heart attack on 21st January 1986. A colour image of a coloured blackboard drawing on the front and verso gallery details. VG+
DEMOCRACY IS MERRY. 1975.
Heidelberg: Edition Staeck, 1975
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp artist's postcard with image of the artist and comrades leaving the administration of the Staatliche Kunstakadamie following their occupation of the building to demand open access to all to the faculty. Police were called to expel the occupiers on October 10, 1972 and the day after Beuys was dismissed from his professorial post by the University. One of the unnumbered and unsigned copies. VG+. Schellman: P8.
JACK BURNHAM. 1974.
Heidelberg: Edition Staeck, 1974
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp artist's postcard with the text: Lass Jack Burnham ruhig auch mal was essen". The story is that Beuys said this "I think we should let Jack Burnham have something to eat as well" in response to the critic's remarks about Marcel Duchamp (which Beuys disagreed with). One of the unnumbered and unsigned copies. VG+. Schellman: P15.