Ian Ferguson, a grad of the Art History MA program, has just curated an exhibition of publications for the library of the National Gallery of Canada, titled “Exploring the Life and Art of a True Original: Joseph Beuys at the NGC Library and Archives.” Celebrated for an art practice incorporating sculpture and installation, performance and theory, Joseph Beuys is also renowned for radically challenging artistic conventions.
An exhibition now on view at the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) Library and Archives, highlights the artistic production and cultural theories of the influential and controversial German artist. Drawing upon the Art Metropole collection, Joseph Beuys (1921–1986) — The Man and His Multiples features a number of objects designed by the artist, including postcards made of unusual materials, a badge, a shopping bag, and vinyl records. These, along with related photographs and texts, help illustrate the artist’s performances, his concept of social sculpture, and his political activism, as well as his expansion of sculptural vocabulary with materials such as felt and honey.
The exhibition complements the larger NGC exhibition, Joseph Beuys, on view until November 26, 2017, by providing additional examples of his work, as well as biographical context.
For an accompanying article by Ian Ferguson in the NGC Magazine, see: http://www.ngcmagazine.ca/exhibitions/exploring-the-life-and-art-of-a-true-original-joseph-beuys-at-the-ngc-library-and-archives