"To be a teacher is my greatest work of art."
   -Joseph Beuys, 1969

Beuys was a prolific teacher. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to differentiate his artistic practice from his teaching, as it is difficult to separate his life from his art, which in turn cannot be divorced from his political and social concerns. Beuys was both a teacher in the traditional sense, as Professor of Monumental Sculpture at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art where his students included such artists as Jörg Immendorf, Anselm Kiefer, and Imi Knoebel, and he extended his role as teacher to the creation of countless open forums for debate that assumed myriad forms.

Beuys created a public persona that was a challenge to the status quo and a catalyst for change through action and interaction. For more than 20 years, Beuys' primary activity was teaching, spreading his ideas about art and the role of art in society to a wide range of audiences. In this way, Beuys has had a deep and broad-ranging influence on both contemporary art and society.

Joseph Beuys I Like America and America Likes Me, 1974
René Block Gallery, New York Photo: Caroline Tisdall (c)1997 Estate of Joseph Beuys/ARS, NY

Joseph Beuys We Won't Do It without the Rose, 1972
offset lithograph on paper, ink
Alfred and Marie Greisinger Collection, Walker Art Center, T. B. Walker Acquisition Fund, 1992
(c)1997 Estate of Joseph Beuys/ARS, NY

I recently discovered two excellent websites devoted exclusively to Joseph Beuys. Click on a number of available links to view a full description of each project and corresponding images.

http://www.walkerart.org/beuys/info_introframe.html   This is clearly the best site for both text and images.  Be sure to use the red arrows at the bottom of the page to advance through the site.

http://www.diacenter.org/permcoll/beuys/index.html

Joseph Beuys resume:
http://www.desk.nl/~filmart/babeth.html