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Premium Jeschke Jádi Auctions Berlin
31
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Geometric Abstraction Knifer, Julije
Meander.
See original version (German)
31
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Geometric Abstraction Knifer, Julije
Meander.
See original version (German)
Estimate €3,600 - €4,500
Voluntary lot
Description
Geometric Abstraction
Knifer, Julije
Meander. 1985. Folder containing 5 screen prints. 58.7 × 38.7 cm (66 × 51 cm). Each signed, dated and numbered. Magnificent, deep black prints.
One of 40 copies. – Published by Edition Hoffmann. - The sole motif, the Meander, is a right-angled, labyrinth-like form in black and white, composed exclusively of horizontal and vertical lines, which Knifer adopted in the late 1950s as his definitive, lifelong subject. In the 1980s, Knifer shifted his working process towards drawing: he applied graphite to paper in layers over the course of hours, so that the sheets do not appear as neatly printed surfaces, but instead preserve the tactile temporality of the application itself. Knifer regarded these works as ‘records of time’ and, in doing so, conceptually aligned himself with On Kawara’s Date Paintings or Roman Opalka’s lists of numbers – seriality as a form of resistance against finality and unambiguity. From an art-historical perspective, Knifer’s approach draws on Russian Suprematism (Malevich) and Constructivism, which he had internalised during his training in Zagreb, and is linked, through his membership of the Gorgona Group, to the Eastern European Neo-Avant-Garde of the 1960s. The graphite portfolios published by Edition Hoffmann thus represent a convergence point where Concrete Art, serial Minimal Art and conceptual anti-art coalesce into a singular, literally uncompletable pictorial project. The Torchon deckle-edged paper – a heavy, hand-made or cylinder-moulded paper with a pronounced, linen-like surface texture – visibly transfers its structure to the printed surface during the screen-printing process. The ink follows the relief of the paper’s grain rather than covering it evenly: the graphite screen-printing ink sits thickly on the raised fibre bundles, whilst the white of the paper remains visible in the recesses – the printed surface ‘breathes’ through the paper’s structure.
Portfolio of 5 screenprints. Each signed, dated and numbered. Magnificent, deep-black prints. One of 40 copies. – Published by Edition Hoffmann. – The sole pictorial motif, the meander, is a right-angled, labyrinthine form composed exclusively of horizontal and vertical lines in black and white, which Knifer adopted in the late 1950s as his absolute, lifelong subject. In the 1980s, Knifer shifted his working process towards drawing: he applied graphite in layers over the course of hours, so that the sheets do not appear as cleanly printed surfaces but rather preserve the tactile temporality of the act of application itself. Knifer regarded these works as records of time, aligning them conceptually with On Kawara’s Date Paintings or Roman Opalka’s number sequences – seriality as a form of resistance against closure and the singularity of meaning. From an art-historical perspective, Knifer’s approach draws on Russian Suprematism (Malevich) and Constructivism, which he had internalised during his training in Zagreb, and, through his membership of the Gorgona Group, connects with the Eastern European neo-avant-garde of the 1960s. The graphite portfolios published by Edition Hoffmann thus constitute a focal point at which Concrete Art, serial Minimal Art and conceptual anti-art converge into a singular, literally inexhaustible pictorial project. The torchon laid paper – a heavy, handmade or cylinder-mould paper with a pronounced, linen-like surface texture – visibly imprints its structure onto the printed surface during the screen-printing process. Rather than covering the paper’s relief evenly, the ink follows the grain: on the raised fibre clusters, the graphite screen-print ink sits thick and full, whilst the white of the paper remains visible in the recesses – the printed surface allows the paper’s own texture to shine through.
See original version (German)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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