I am no art fanatic. I have been to one and only one “art museum” in my entire life (yes, it is sad). I just saw a photo taken from Joseph Beuys‘ How To Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare (1965), and it struck me.

Beuys and “Hare” are explained in this passage from an Encarta article on Modern Art:

One of the most prominent members of Fluxus was Joseph Beuys, a German sculptor and performance artist. In the spirit of dadaism, Beuys’s gestures were often intentionally absurd, such as his suggestion that the Berlin Wall be raised a few centimeters for better proportion or his attempt to found political parties for animals. In How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare (1965), Beuys tied a piece of felt to the sole of one foot and a piece of metal to the other. He then covered his head with gold leaf and proceeded to explain works of art to a dead hare that he cradled in his arms. Hidden within this apparent absurdity were more serious questions about the boundaries between life and death, human being and animal, the rational and the irrational, and finally between art and audience.

He is also known for his 1974 piece entitled “Coyote, I Love America and America Loves Me” wherein he wrapped himself with felt and stayed in locked room with a coyote for 5 days.

Further reading: Artchive article on Bueys, Beuys’ 7000 Oaks Project