Ink, graphite and stamp on printed paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
ARTIST ROOMS
National Heritage Memorial Fund
Art Fund
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/joseph-beuys-747" aria-label="More by Joseph Beuys" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Joseph Beuys</a>
ARTIST ROOMS
Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008
abstraction
animals: mammals
bull
cities, towns, villages (non-UK)
countries and continents
defacement
document - non-specific
emotions, concepts and ideas
formal qualities
geometric
Germany
inscriptions
Kassel - non-specific
non-representational
objects
places
reading, writing, printed matter
repetition
stamp
symbols and personifications
text
paper unique ink graphite stamp printed
Untitled
support (each): 145 × 102 mm
frame: 1331 × 894 × 38 mm
<a href="/search?gid=999999788" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">ARTIST ROOMS</a>
Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the <a href="/search?gid=999999967" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">National Heritage Memorial Fund</a> and the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a> 2008
<p>Ink stamps were used by Beuys in his drawings from the 1960s onwards. The kind most often seen is circular in design, featuring several symbols and the word 'Hauptstrom', which translates as 'Mainstream'. This diamond-shaped stamp is found in several works from the 1980s, and its repeated printing over a selection of scraps of paper here has been used to create a dazzling effect. Beuys began using ink stamps as a parody of official stamps used by bureaucracy. His 'Hauptstrom' stamps were often added after a work was made, changing its meaning and date. With the stamp used here, the diamond shape is central to the overall pattern created.</p>

Online caption
2009-04-16T00:00:00
online-caption
ONLINE_CAPTION
abstraction animals: mammals bull cities, towns, villages (non-UK) countries and continents defacement document - non-specific emotions, concepts and ideas formal qualities geometric Germany inscriptions Kassel - non-specific non-representational objects places reading, writing, printed matter repetition stamp symbols and personifications text