Imi Knoebel - Gelbe Fahne

Imi Knoebel’s Gelbe Fahne (Yellow Flag) exemplifies the artist’s mastery of Minimalism and his lifelong exploration of color, form, and space. Known for his bold use of geometric abstraction, Knoebel creates a dynamic interplay between brightly hued rectangles that seem to float across a vivid yellow field. The print's arrangement is deceptively simple yet highly refined, reflecting his rigorous investigation of Suprematism and the legacy of artists like Kazimir Malevich.

This limited edition screenprint captures the balance of order and spontaneity that defines Knoebel’s practice, turning pure color into a spatial and emotional experience. The vibrant contrasts highlight his belief in the expressive potential of abstract form, making Gelbe Fahne one of his most striking graphic artworks.

Imi Knoebel, born in 1940 in Dessau, Germany, is a distinguished figure in the realm of minimalist art, known for his profound exploration of form, color, and material. Despite his education under Joseph Beuys at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, Knoebel’s artistic direction was significantly influenced by Kazimir Malevich, a pioneer of geometric abstract art. Imi Knoebel’s artwork, which spans across multiple mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installations, is a continuation of Malevich’s concept of “pure perception.” This approach is characterized by a focus on simple forms and a reductive use of color, striving to achieve a form of artistic purity and simplicity. Knoebel’s philosophy on art is encapsulated in his own words: “When I am asked about what I think when I look at a painting, I can only answer that I don’t think at all; I look at it and can only take in the beauty, and I don’t want to see it in relation to anything else. Only what I see, simply because it has its own validity.” This perspective reflects his commitment to the aesthetic experience of art, valuing the intrinsic beauty and form of the artwork over any external associations or interpretations. Known for creating artworks in series, Imi Knoebel’s minimal compositions are distinguished by their simplistic and strict vocabulary of shapes, paired with a nuanced and subtle use of color. He effectively reveals the inherent physical characteristics of basic materials such as fiberboard, plywood, and aluminum, emphasizing the materiality and the essence of the mediums he employs. His limited edition prints are often an exploration of the interplay between space, color, and form, inviting viewers to engage with the fundamental elements of visual art. Imi Knoebel’s artwork has been featured in various documenta exhibitions and retrospectives across Europe, including Haus der Kunst in Munich, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Institut Valencià d’Art Modern in Spain, and the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.