Joseph Beuys (F. & S. II.244)
Joseph Beuys (F. & S. II.244)
Signed Print
Andy Warhol
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102 x 81cm, Edition of 150, Screenprint
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Meaning & Analysis
Andy Warhol’s 1980 screen print Joseph Beuys (F. & S. II.244) depicts the German postwar artist Joseph Beuys in the pop artist’s signature portrait grid. In this signed print from an edition of 150, Warhol has opted for his classic design, printing blue, white, yellow, and red Beuys on a cyan background. The blue Beuys clearly resembles the artist, while the others fade into the outlines of a man with a hat, drawing on Warhol’s familiar theme of celebrity but erasing the recognizability of the subject.
Warhol’s subject here was indeed a celebrity, but not of his usual kind. Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) was one of the most important postwar artists in Europe, and a contemporary of Warhol. Famed for his activism, happenings, and performance pieces, Beuys emphasized spirituality and shamanism. While these themes diverge from Warhol’s interest in consumerism and celebrity, both artists admired and respected each other. Warhol produced Joseph Beuys (F. & S. II.244) as a part of the larger series Joseph Beuys.