Oil paint and graphite on 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>
Felt Action an Actress
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
actor
adults
arts and entertainment
emotions, concepts and ideas
figure
formal qualities
from recognisable sources
gestural
people
woman
work and occupations
paper unique oil paint graphite
Felt Action for an Actress
support: 210 × 298 mm
frame: 674 × 541 × 28 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>In the dark grey oil paint of this work a small face can be seen, with the legs a short distance away shown extended towards the right edge of the page. Beuys has returned to the persona of the actress here, the role in which women are often depicted in his drawings. The woman is engulfed in oil paint, which represents the grey felt the artist used in his sculptures and 'actions'. Although it is a material which can insulate and absorb, felt also has a feminine aspect through its ability to mould to shapes and to provide protection.</p>

Online caption
2009-04-16T00:00:00
online-caption
ONLINE_CAPTION
abstraction actor adults arts and entertainment emotions, concepts and ideas figure formal qualities from recognisable sources gestural people woman work and occupations