Imi Knoebel conferred Minimal Art with large dimensions: He not only created monumental works such as the stained-glass windows of Riems Cathedral, but used art to eliminate social grievances and to realise political goals, supported the rights of children, the Polish trade union Solidarność, and German-Franco reconciliation.
(...) Continue readingImi Knoebel – Friendship and common identity with Imi Giese; studies with Beuys
Imi Knoebel was born Klaus Wolf Knoebel in Dessau on 31 December 1940. He spent his early years near Dresden before moving with his family to Mainz in 1950. Studying at the Werkkunstschule Darmstadt from 1962 to 1964, he learnt not only the ideas of the Bauhaus masterminds Lászlo Moholy-Nagy and Johannes Itten, but also met fellow artist Rainer Giese, with whom he moved to the Düsseldorf Art Academy in 1964 to study commercial art under Walter Breker. Their deep bond prompted them to share an artistic identity and thus adopted the same first name: Imi + Imi was intended to symbolise the phrase "Me with him". Their extravagant self-presentation finally earned them the longed-for admission to Joseph Beuys' class where, in the legendary Room 19, they also worked with Jörg Immendorf and, above all, Blinky Palermo (alias Peter Heisterkamp). With Palermo and Katharina Sieverding, both Imis defined their own artistic position, which, despite their reverence for their teacher Beuys, set them apart. Imi Knoebel retained his pseudonym even after the premature death of his friend Imi Giese in 1974.
Black and white lines and coloured areas
Imi Knoebel was able to quickly establish himself as a modern artist and was soon a frequent guest at relevant fashionable venues such as the Ratinger Hof, which his wife Carmen and Ingrid Kohlhöfer took over in 1974. In the 1960s, the artist created his Linienbilder (line paintings) in black and white; Kazimir Malevich's ‘Black Square’, the second major model for Imi Knoebel alongside Beuys, inspired him to create his multi-layered panel sculptures Sandwich I and Sandwich II. It was not until the 1970s that colour found its way into Imi Knoebel's paintings, and in 1975 he began his Mennigebilder series, for which he used a rust protection paint used in steel construction, also known colloquially as 'Mennigefarbe'. The brightly coloured aluminium panels, which create patterns by overlapping each other and are reminiscent of the work of Piet Mondrian in their style, have also become famous.
Using art to make politics and change society
From the early 1980s, Imi Knoebel also became increasingly involved in political and social issues with his work. In 1982, he joined a long line of greats such as Georg Baselitz, his teacher Joseph Beuys, Walter Dahn, Gerhard Richter, Günther Uecker and others to support the Polish Solidarność movement. In 1988, he created Kinderstern, a work of art that Knoebel has repeatedly executed in numerous variations in order to generate donations for children in need. The multiple Documenta participant was able to set another special accent in his accomplished artistic career with the design of a total of nine stained glass windows for the venerable Reims Cathedral. With the decision to award this coveted commission to a German artist, France deliberately set an example for good neighbourly relations - and also allowed contemporary art to move into the 800-year-old church for the first time.
Imi Knoebel lives and works today as a freelance painter and sculptor in Düsseldorf.
Imi Knoebel - Works that have already been sold at Kunsthaus Lempertz:
