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.
COSMOS UND DAMIAN. 1974
Heidelberg: Edition Staeck, 1974
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp artist's postcard with an image of the Twin Towers (taken from a tourist 3-d commercial postcard) on the front which Beuys identifies with Cosmos and Damien - the black and white twin brothers who practice medicine without taking fees and were the subject of various miracles. One of the unnumbered and unsigned copies. VG+. Schellman: P20.
BONNEFANTEN. 1975. ADDRESSED TO WOLFGANG BECKER.
Heidelberg: Edition Staeck, 1975
15 x 10.5cm, 2pp artist's postcard with an image of the artist and a friend at the opening of an exhibition at Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht. One of the unnumbered and unsigned copies. This example has a handwritten note on the back from "Isi" dated 11.6.75 for Wolfgang Becker with some paper scuffs on the back but else VG+. Becker was the founder of the famous Neue Galerie in Aachen where Beuys made some of his earliest Aktions. Schellman: P23.
7 VORTAGE ZU JOSEPH BEUYS. 1986.
Koln/Monchengladbach: Konig/Museumsverein Mönchengladbach, 1986
15 x 10.5cm,4pp. Promotional and subscription card for the title book on Beuys and the 7000 Eichen project. One b/w image of the artist with tree and basalt stone. Published in the month immediately after the artist's death. VG+.
JOSEPH BEUYS DIE MULTIPLES. 1986.
Munchen: Edition Schellmann, 1986
15 x 21cm, 1pp announcement card for the first edition of the catalogue raisonne of multiples and editions by Beuys. The image on the card is the work Flag from 1974 where a model train was equipped with a red flag by Beuys. The book was published in the year of the artist's death but was planned in advance of that event. VG+.