Lecture, Screening

Twenty years after Joseph Beuys’ historic trip to the U.S., and his first American speaking engagement, on January 11, 1974 at The New School, the Vera List Center presents a video documentation of his lecture, “Joseph Beuys’ Public Dialogue” (directed by Willoughby Sharp) at 5:45 p.m., followed by a slide lecture by Ronald Feldman at 8:00 p.m.

Joseph Beuys has exerted enormous influence on the visual arts in the past twenty years, not only through his own art but also in his roles as educator, shaman, philosopher, and social reformer. When he first visited the United States in 1974, his first public engagement was at The New School, an event which this evening commemorates.

The program begins with a showing of Willoughby Sharp’s video “Joseph Beuys’ Pubilc Dialogue,” which was recorded at The New School in 1974. At 8:00 p.m., Ronald Feldman shows slides of Beuys’ 1974 tour and shares reminiscences. Feldman was the first to persuade Beuys to visit the States (after the end of the Vietnam War), organized the trip and traveled with the artist to Chicago and Minneapolis. Feldman shows slides of this trip and shares reminiscences. It was Mr. Feldman who persuaded the artist to visit America (after the end of the Vietnam War) and organized the trip. He founded Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in 1971, a New York gallery noted for exhibiting the work of socially engaged artists. He was recently appointed to the National Council on the Arts. He co-authored with Maurice Berger “The Future of the National Endowment for the Arts,” a transition paper written for President-elect Clinton.

Participant
Ronald Feldman