Through a rigorous examination of color, form, and materiality, Imi Knoebel’s uncompromisingly abstract work delves into the core tenets of painting and sculpture. His practice seeks to reveal the rudimentary components of artistic expression, finding them within the reflexive engagement between humanity and the fundamental reality of the world. By adhering to the lineage of non-objective art, Knoebel aligns himself with masters like Piet Mondrian and Kazimir Malevich. He identifies his first encounter with Malevich’s 1915 masterpiece, *Black Square*, as a pivotal influence that dismantled traditional constraints, granting him the profound realization that he was free to create from a point of absolute origin. This philosophy informs his serial, experimental methodology, which is defined by a tactile application of color, a stark geometric lexicon, and an emphasis on elemental materials.
Born in 1940 in Dessau as Klaus Wolf Knoebel, he began his formal education at the Werkkunstschule Darmstadt in 1962, studying under the tutelage of László Moholy-Nagy and Johannes Itten. During this period, he formed a creative alliance with Rainer Griese, a peer who shared his fascination for Malevich’s influence. The two adopted the moniker “Imi & Imi”—derived from “Ich mit Ihm” (“I with him”)—which also served as a droll reference to a common East German cleaning product, adding a layer of irony to their provocative self-identification. Their persistence eventually secured them a place as students under Joseph Beuys at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Beuys granted them access to Room 19, a studio situated next to his own iconic classroom space. It was within this specific environment that Knoebel conceived his seminal early installation, *Raum 19* (1968), which utilized unpainted Masonite—a utilitarian industrial medium that has remained a hallmark of his artistic output—to explore modular, geometric arrangements.
www.ftn-books.com has several Knoebel publciations available.
