Joseph Beuys

Fight

1980

Not on display

Artist: Joseph Beuys 1921–1986
Original title: Kampf
Medium: Collage, oil and graphite on paper
Dimensions: Support: 535 × 500 mm
frame: 922 × 731 × 45 mm
Collection: ARTIST ROOMS Tate and 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: AR00688

Online caption

Beuys's political involvement had a great influence on his art from the 1960s onwards. The title of this work translates as 'struggle' or 'fight' and is based around an image painted in Braunkreuz oil paint, which looks like two opposing masses in combat. Around this, the artist has written words in capital letters including 'state' 'denationalisation', 'job', with other notes made on the pieces of paper which are attached to the central section, like the tentacles of a jellyfish. Beuys was one of the founding members of the Green Party in 1980, and stood as the official candidate for the party in Düsseldorf in the same year.