'Tails', Joseph Beuys

Artwork details

Artist

Joseph Beuys (1921‑1986)

Title

Tails

Date 1962

MediumOil paint, graphite and felt on paper

Dimensionssupport: 397 x 1542 mm

Collection

Tate / National Galleries of Scotland

Acquisition ARTIST ROOMS Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008

Reference

AR00654

Not on display

Online caption

Over a metre and a half in length, this drawing depicts a strange figure who is part animal, part human. The circular object on which the figure's beak rests is a piece of felt – the material with which Beuys is renowned for using extensively in his sculpture and actions. Felt is part of the artist's iconic story in which his life was saved after a plane crash when he was wrapped in layers of felt and fat. Although felt represents warmth and protection, its composition of compressed fibres or hair also refers to the human body.