How did Joseph Beuys become the shaman of contemporary art?

Post-war German artist Josef Beuys has a long-standing reputation for his connections with the ancient practices of shamanism. Throughout his career, he developed a public figure as an enigmatic shamanic figure, deeply connected to nature, animals, man’s primal past, and the unseen spiritual world. theme into art through bizarre performances, rituals, and educational practices, earning him the moniker of “the shaman of contemporary art.” Examine the key themes of shamanism adopted by Beuys. Shamanism encouraged messages of healing, transformation and regeneration through art after the horrors of World War II.

Joseph Beuys grew up against a backdrop of war and experienced first-hand the trauma of combat and conflict in his youth. He invented the now legendary story of being rescued by Tatar tribesmen after being shot down in the Crimea. Boyce then claimed to have wrapped him in layers of felt and fat to keep him warm. It encapsulates his fascination with the healing power of materials.

He wanted to heal and transform society through art

Boyce was deeply concerned with how the shamanic form can promote healing, regeneration and transformation. These themes were especially powerful for Beuys after World War II, when a deeply scarred society needed to heal and repair itself. Integrating into many profound works of art, they opened up space for spiritual reflection and conveyed messages of hope and optimism for a new world.

his installation end of 20th century, 1983-5, is one of the most resonant examples. In this work, Boyce has drilled holes in 31 basalt blocks and removed cone-shaped pieces. He then inserted felt and clay into the hole before putting the cone back in place. Boyce argues that this process of removing and putting back rocks in new ways opens up ideas about healing old wounds and starting new life cycles.

Another aspect of shamanism that Boyce adopted in his art was his connection with the environment. He believed that in order to instill a new world order, people needed to look back to pre-war cultures where people were more in tune with the natural world and its many healing properties. , has drawn attention to ways in which nature seeks to be reintegrated into urban life in order to enjoy all the benefits it has to offer.

Through artists such as Caspar David Friedrich and Albert Bierstadt, Beuys also treats natural materials and environmental themes as a way of recalling the pre-war German tradition for romanticism and the sublime celebration of nature. Boyce’s Project 7000 Oaks (Municipal Tree Planting, Not City Administration) (1982) planted trees throughout the city of Kassel, Germany, and combined each tree with a basalt stone fragment.

he forged a spiritual connection with animals

Boyce was fascinated by the connection between humans and animals. In one of his most iconic performances, how to explain a picture to a dead rabbit, In 1965, while cradling a dead hare, Boyce explains a series of artwork to the animal in a strange, quasi-psychic act.On the other hand, in Beuys’ legendary performance i love america and america loves me1974, (also known as Coyotes), Boyce was locked in a room with wild coyotes, proving that humans can coexist with the most ferocious wild animals.

Boyce wanted to overthrow the power system

Beuys became Professor of Monumental Sculpture at the Düsseldorf Academy in 1961. In his role as his educator, he expanded the conceptual framework of shamanicism, establishing himself as a sort of Fluxus his guru or spiritual his leader rather than a formal instructor. He removed the admission requirement and claimed that all students could attend his experimental classes. He also sought to overthrow traditional systems of power, instead focusing on individual expression and abolishing examinations, an education that had a lasting impact not only on art education, but on the very nature of art itself. A radical approach to art, merging education with activism and performance in his art.