- 147
Imi Knoebel
Description
- Imi Knoebel
- 38 s O,9 w 0,2
- oil on canvas laid down on board
- 160.2 by 130.5cm.; 63 by 51 3/8 in.
- Executed in 1967.
Provenance
Galerie Nächst St. Stephan, Vienna
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Knoebel's black and white "Line Paintings" were created during the period 1966-1968 when the artist was at the Dusseldorf Kunstakademie studying under Joseph Beuys. These paintings are considered to be crucially important in Knoebel's development and have been described by Roland Waespe of the Kunstmusem, St.Gallen, Switzerland, on the occasion of an exhibition of 50 never-before-shown line paintings in 1996, as the artist's "first convincing group of work". The exhibition was described in Art in America that year as "world-class". Most of the "Line Paintings" consist of rows or grids of filaments drawn with a ruling pen and black distemper wall paint on white-primed linen mounted on fiberboard and stretchers, however the present work belongs to a smaller group that are ruled white on a black priming. Showing a precocious playfulness, Knoebel's monochrome works explore many of the elements relevant in painting at that time: line, surface, objectness, and optical effect, but there also exists a strong reference to Knoebel's interest in light projections, a discipline which he engaged with some interest during his time at Dusseldorf. In particular, the present work produces a strong optical effect of colour generation upon close viewing, mimicking a projected element to the painted surface. These early works divulge Knoebel's vision of painting's endgame as an opening, not a closing - a beginning of a new game.