Mennige, 1988
Two sheets of plywood, painted with Mennige (red primer) on the inside, nails. 100 x 100 x 1 cm (40 x 40 x ½ in). Edition of 21, signed and numbered.
This edition by Imi Knoebel is a minimal, object-like work that explores the boundaries between painting and sculpture. The title refers to a specific reddish industrial pigment, which, however, remains invisible in the work, as it is enclosed between two plywood panels. By completely concealing the color surface, the autonomy of color is emphasized – it exists, yet remains hidden from view. This deliberate withholding gives the work an enigmatic presence that resists immediate interpretation, instead pointing to the concept of materiality, surface, and concealed depth.
