Not on display
- Artist
- Joseph Beuys 1921–1986
- Medium
- Ink, graphite and stamp on printed paper
- Dimensions
- Support (each): 145 x 102 mm
frame: 1331 x 894 x 38 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
- AR00690
Online caption
Ink stamps were used by Beuys in his drawings from the 1960s onwards. The kind most often seen is circular in design, featuring several symbols and the word 'Hauptstrom', which translates as 'Mainstream'. This diamond-shaped stamp is found in several works from the 1980s, and its repeated printing over a selection of scraps of paper here has been used to create a dazzling effect. Beuys began using ink stamps as a parody of official stamps used by bureaucracy. His 'Hauptstrom' stamps were often added after a work was made, changing its meaning and date. With the stamp used here, the diamond shape is central to the overall pattern created.
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