Imi Knoebel
Exhibition
Grünangergasse 1
1010 Vienna
19 Nov 2002 – 28 Feb 2003
read inGerman
The FAZ titled a review of Imi Knoebel's latest exhibition at the Kestner-Gesellschaft Hannover Strahlender Plattenbau. Indeed, Imi Knoebel's new aluminum works are an intense sensory experience. Since the early 1990s, Imi Knoebel has formulated his interest in surface, color, line, and form and the question of the relationship between painting and space in relief-like compositions made of aluminum, a neutral industrial product as a carrier for unmixed pure colors. The works are composed of individual parts, each painted in monochrome; Imi Knoebel draws from a rich reservoir of square or rectangular color surfaces and color stripes. Composing is literally screwing the individual components together to form a three-dimensional image. "Knoebel treats form and color in a concrete way in his basic elements; he explores their possibilities and limits. This also explains his self-image as a painter." (Marie-Amélie zu Salm-Salm Mounted in the sandwich principle, charming lines at the edges and borders shine out from lower layers. They form the boundary of the overall composition and, like a delicate second voice, set the powerful monochrome large surfaces in vibration. At the same time, nothing is concealed: the crude cross-section of the aluminum parts can be seen from the side at any time. The main work of our exhibition is a work consisting of 3 elements, alternating square grid grids and square monochrome surfaces (total 305 x 456,4 x 10,8 cm). In addition, we show an almost square composition composed of two parts, as well as paintings and works on paper from the series „Pure Freude“ (Pure Joy), which also gave the title to Imi Knoebel's most recent exhibition at the Kestner-Gesellschaft. Pur (Pure) is understood in two ways: as sheer joy in the purity of color and composition, a purity that, according to Paul Klee, cannot quite be approached by measuring or weighing, but rather arises as the "poetry of precision" (Max Wechsler). Significantly, Imi Knoebel's upcoming exhibition at the Kunstverein Braunschweig (opening November 29, 2002) will be titled „IMI gegen starken Schmutz“ (IMI against strong dirt).
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- Franz Schachinger
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