"Joseph Beuys (1921-86) - the German sculptor and performance artist - became one of the most influential figures in modern and contemporary art. His charismatic presence, extraordinary life, and unconventional artistic style (incorporating ritualized movement and sound, and materials such as fat, felt, earth, honey, blood, and even dead animals) gained him international fame and notoriety from the 1960s through the 1980s. Beuys's innovative influence is particularly felt in the field of sculpture, whose definition he expanded to encompass performance art, vitrine cases, and site-specific environments." "With a comprehensive chronology of Beuys's activities as an artist and activist, this book is essential for those interested in the life, work, and legacy of one of the art world's most intriguing figures."--Jacket.