Joseph Beuys was a German artist that was in WW II. After the war he focused on his sculpting abilities and got a degree in sculpting. He decided to dedicate his life to art and began performance art pieces during the Fluxus movement.
One of his performances was titled "How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare". In this performance Beuys was positioned through the gallery window covered in honey and gold leaf holding a dead hare. Although I think this is a disturbing performance piece, it seemed to have a great affect on the people of his time.
Another performance piece that we discussed in class was "I Like America and America Likes Me". Beuys shared a room with a coyote. He used a lot of symbolism in this piece. Apparently he did not stop foot in America during this trip claiming he, "Wanted to isolate myself, insulate myself, see nothing of America other than the coyote". I thought this piece was interesting because of the symbolism the coyote has with America.
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