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.
Utrecht: Hedensaagse Kunst, 1986 15 x 10.5cm, 4pp announcement card for a show that took place very soon (May 1986) after the artist's sudden death from a heart attack. One colour image of a drawing on the front, internally and back gallery details. VG+.
Utrecht: Hedensaagse Kunst, 1986 15 x 10.5cm, 1pp announcement card for a show that took place very soon (May 1986) after the artist's sudden death from a heart attack. One b/w photograph of Beuys looking at the installation Kreuzaktion from 1969 on the front (taken by Bernd Jansen), verso gallery details. VG+.
Bernd JansenUtrecht: Hedensaagse Kunst, 1986 15 x 10.5cm, 1pp announcement card for a show that took place very soon (May 1986) after the artist's sudden death from a heart attack. One b/w photograph of the Manresa aktion from 1966 on the front (taken by Ute Klophais), verso gallery details. VG+.
Ute KlophausBonn: Bildkunst, 1986 15 x 10.5cm, 2pp postcard showing Beuys creating the aktion die "Wandlung" at Dokumenta 7 in 1982 on the front, verso publisher's details. The performance saw the artist melt down a copy of Czar Ivan the terrible's crown into a hare and the orb of the sun as symbols of trans-European peace. VG+.
Dusseldorf: Grabbeplatz Kunstehalle, 1986
21 x 15cm, 4pp plus 2pp insert. Announcement card for the year of Beuys' death with one colour image of a collage-painting "Gerat" from 1953 on the front and internally museum details. The insert is a short typographic text on Beuys. Some pinholes top right on the card which pass through all the pages else VG.
NYC: John Gibson Gallery, 1986
10.5 x 15cm 2pp. Announcement card for a posthumous show which took place only 9 months after the artist's sudden death. Image on the front of a Beuys performing Titus Andronicus/Iphigenie aktion (with a live horse) in 1969. A unmailed copy -VG+.
NYC: Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, n.d. (1986) 15.3 X 11cm, 2pp announcement card for an early posthumous show (Beuys had died only 9 months earlier) with an image of the artist in the performance "Neues vom Kojoten" - photo by Eevan Inkeri. Verso gallery details. A mailed example with typed address but still VG+.
Bonn: Raum 41, 1986
21 x 15cm, 2pp announcement leaflet for a photographic edition by Franz Fischer of an image of Beuys and James Lee Byars shown from above to only see their respective headgear - Beuys's hat and Byars' top hat. Posthumous to Beuys of course but not Byars. VG+.
Kleve: Stadtisches Museum Haus Koekkoek, 1987
21 x 15cm, 4pp announcement for a posthumous show to honour the recently deceased artists with work from 199 other artists. There is a b/w photographic portrait of Beuys taken from behind him on the front of the card.. VG+.
Kassel: Freie Internationale Universitat, 1987 15 x 10.5cm, 2pp artist\'s postcard issued soon after Beuys' sudden death. The b/w image on the front displays one of the planted trees in Kassel as part of the 7000 Eichen project. Photogrpahy by Dieter Neubert. VG+.
