Untitled

1945–1960

First exhibitions: Kleve, Kranenburg, Wuppertal

In his early years Beuys showed watercolours and sketches at the Kleve Artists Association's annual exhibition in the Villa Koekkoek, had a solo show at the home of Hans and Franz Joseph van der Grinten in Kranenburg, and took part in a show at the Von der Heydt Museum in Wuppertal.

1955–1957

Severe depression and recovery with the van der Grintens

Artistic self-doubt and poverty led Beuys to a physical and psychological crisis and a period of serious depression; he recovered in Kranenburg, at the house of his most important early patrons, the van der Grinten brothers. The episode has since been called his “shamanistic initiation”.

1958

A design for the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial

In 1958 Beuys took part in the international competition for the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial; his proposal did not win and was never realised.

1959

Marries Eva Wurmbach

In 1959 Beuys married Eva Wurmbach; the couple had two children.

1960s

Forms the idea of “social sculpture”

Drawing on Novalis and Schiller and on Rudolf Steiner's ideas of social threefolding, Beuys developed the concept of social sculpture: society as a whole is one great work of art to which everyone can contribute creatively (“everyone is an artist”).