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.
NYC: Rene Block Gallery, 1975
15 x 10.5cm, 2pp announcement card for a selling exhibition of photographs of art performances and works. The front image is of several views of Beuys’ 24 Stunden performance taken by Ute Klophaus. VG+.
Bonn: Galerie Klein, 1975 10.4 x 14.8cm, 2pp announcement card designed by Beuys for group show celebrating 5 years of Galerie Klein's activities. gallery’s activities. Beuys's reproduced holograph in blue lists the artists included in the show, namely: Joseph Beuys,Michael von Biel, Raimund Görke, Gotthard Graubner, Sol LeWitt , Klaus Mettig, Sigmar Polke and Fred Sandback. Verso gallery details printed in blue. VG+.
Genova, Samangallery, 1976 10.5 x 15cm, 2pp, commercial postcard of Genova which is overprinted in thick brown paint and rubber stamped on the reverse with the gallery details. This is one of a few known versions of this invitation card where a commercial card was adapted by over-printing with different landscape scenes. Here the underlying card shows a view of Church of Santa Maria Assunta di Carignano, Genoa. Edition Schellmann released a numbered and signed edition of these postcards as an original multiple. This card is a mailed example with stamps and a postmark dated 7-2-76, and is hand-addressed to Lucrezia De Domitius. There is a slight diagonal crease top right but else VG+. Scarce.
Genova, Samangallery, 1976
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp, commercial postcard of Genova which is overprinted in thick brown paint and rubber stamped on the reverse with the gallery details. This is exactly the same as the edition card (see Schellmann Nr 1880 only not signed and numbered. A rare item in VG+ condition although a mailed example.
Dusseldorf: Galerie Schmela, 1976
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp announcement card with b/w image of a "Fond" work (sheets of metal that theoretically can cause the flow of electrons) ie a battery on the front, and verso gallery details. An unmailed example which has been signed in blue felt tipped pen on the front by the artist - VG+.
Krefeld: Museum Haus Lange Krefeld, 1976, 1982
10.5 x 15cm, 2pp announcement card for the new works in the collection which is is notes included 10 new works by Beuys which were prominently featured in the show. Krefeld is, of course, the city in which the artist was born and brought up. One drawing by the artist is reproduced on the front of the card, verso museum details. This is a mailed card with a typed address and a postal stamp but still is VG+.
Bologna: Studio Cavalieri - Arte Contemporanea, 1976 19.6 x 15.5cm, 2pp announcement card for the opening of the exhibition organised in collaboration with Lucrezia De Domizio. Front of the card utilises a b/w image of Beuys in performance in 1974 by Bubby Durini that is found on a number of other earlier cards also published in Italy. VG+ example.
