Figuration versus Abstraction
Rolf Knie has always transcended trends. They come and go. What remains is the foundation: the craftsmanship. "Anyone who does not make the effort to work out the basics of the artistic profession for themselves, solely for themselves, will not last in the long run. One cannot simply put an idea into the world; that is not enough in art."
Rolf Knie’s intricate circus motifs and non-figurative painting do not exclude each other, as shown in the paintings from 2012 and 2013. Here again, the moment of chance, when the bare, water-soaked canvas meets the paint, which Rolf Knie applies with a broad brush or splashes on in "Action Painting" style. In the truest sense, the paintings flow, creating their own structures. Here and there, a little more water is added to keep the streams running.
Chance creates abstract formations in which the majestic circus animals or the clowns throne on monumentally appearing columns. For the masterfully painted miniatures, Rolf Knie uses a watchmaker's loupe, allowing him to reproduce his motifs with meticulous precision. His paintings gain a new pictorial quality.
