Joseph Beuys: Beuys Laughing

Name: Joseph Beuys: Beuys Laughing
Brand: Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd
SKU: 9783958299610
Price: 55.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Joseph Beuys and Klaus Staeck and Gerhard Steidl

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Summary

In 1974, after a controversial American tour, Joseph Beuys, Klaus Staeck, and Gerhard Steidl captured moments of Beuys' laughter during a long flight from New York to Düsseldorf. This unique audio project was later edited into a surreal 20-minute track, reflecting Beuys' spontaneous humour. Lost for 46 years, the tape was rediscovered and remastered for a limited-edition vinyl EP, offering a rare glimpse into the artist's lighter side.
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Format: Audio disc

$55⁰⁰

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Joseph Beuys: Beuys Laughing

$55⁰⁰

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This release appeals to contemporary art enthusiasts, collectors of experimental audio, and fans of Joseph Beuys' avant-garde legacy seeking an unusual and intimate artistic experience.

Description

In early 1974, Joseph Beuys, Klaus Staeck, and Gerhard Steidl sat in a Boeing 747 from New York to Düsseldorf, returning home after Beuys' American tour. The trip had been a controversial success, and its every stage was carefully documented by Staeck and Steidl in videos, photographs, and audio—their trusty Sony TC-50 cassette recorder was always at Beuys' side during his lectures, conferences, and workshops.

To relieve the boredom of the flight, the three listened to some of the recordings, and Beuys noticed, surprisedly, just how much he laughed: why not edit this laughter into a single, surreal track?

Steidl subsequently gave the original tapes to the young sound engineer Siegfried Schäfer, who set to work reducing bass and background noise, and created a final edit of 20 minutes. Steidl played this master to a delighted Beuys, who decided to issue it as an audio tape edition, in the mould of his 1969 recording Ja, Ja, Ja, Ja, Ja, Nee, Nee, Nee, Nee, Nee (Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, No, No, No, No, No).

Yet the master tape of Beuys Laughing was then sadly lost for a period of 46 years, only to resurface in 2020. Now, re-mastered and digitised by Schäfer and Pauler Acoustics, it is finally available to the public, in a limited-edition vinyl EP.

I like America and America likes me. - Joseph Beuys

Co-published with Edition Staeck, Heidelberg.