Biography of the German artist Joseph Beuys by Heiner Stechelhaus. Translated into English by David Britt. "This comprehensive biography - the first ever to be published in English about this major figure - reveals how Beuys's private experiences were integrated into his ground-breaking art. Drawing on two decades of conversation with Beuys and with the people who most affected the artist, Heiner Stachelhaus brings clarity to an enigmatic history. Along with his lively, insightful account of the events and encounters that shaped Beuys's art, Stachelhaus tells the less-known story of Beuys the political activist, who in 1979 unsuccessfully ran for the German parliament as a candidate for the environmentalist Green party. His account of Beuys's efforts to revolutionize the teaching of art at the Düsseldorf Academy illustrated the full extent of the artist's idealism and commitment." -- from the interior flap. Includes chronology, selected bibliography, and an index.