Rolf Knie has always transcended trends.
They come and go.
What remains is the foundation: craftsmanship.
"If you do not strive to master the fundamentals of the artistic profession solely for yourself, you will not stand the test of time. You cannot simply set an idea into the world; that is not enough in art."
His paintings show that Rolf Knie's love for detailed circus motifs and non-figurative painting are not mutually exclusive. Again, chance plays a role when the bare, wetted canvas meets the paint, which Rolf Knie applies with a broad brush or splashes in an "Action Painting" manner. In the truest sense, the paintings flow, creating their own structures. Here and there, a little extra water keeps the streams flowing. Chance creates abstract formations, where the majestic circus animals or clowns sit atop monumental-looking columns.
For his masterfully painted miniatures, Rolf Knie uses a watchmaker’s loupe, which allows him to reproduce his motifs with meticulous precision. His paintings acquire a new painterly quality. "It may be easy to excite all the people who are well-disposed towards you and openly show their sympathy for new works. Convincing the skeptics, or those who have shown no interest in my work so far, is a different matter. I am always delighted when I can win someone over to my work."
The works of Rolf Knie have something in common
The viewer feels the strong emotional bond the artist has with his motifs.
Rolf Knie began his career as a clown and often worked with animals in the circus. The vibrant, colorful palette of the circus world sparked the imagination of the young artist, long before he made painting the focus of his work.
However, it would be too simple to just call Rolf Knie a "circus painter." Much more, he succeeds in his multifaceted work in creating a tribute to his great love, the circus world. Many very typical works were created under the big top, and visitors to the website can look forward to encountering not only serigraphs and collages but also the classic Rolf Knie again.
The passion, the love of Rolf Knie is the circus
His life shows the most diverse facets and stages of the circus world; Knie was born into the creative cosmos of the fascinating world of the ring. He remains artistically transparent and human, authentically so.
Whether as a clown, an actor, a comedian in various TV and theater productions, or, for the past eleven years, as the initiator—together with his son Gregory—before the audience of the Winter Circus “Salto Natale,” or now in his fourth year as the producer of the love circus "Ohlala."
Rolf Knie constantly pushes boundaries. He seeks direct dialogue between viewer and audience, always redefining his theme. The artists, acrobats, clowns, exotic animals, as well as his own experiences, and not least life in the circus world, are all reflected in his visual painting. He performs as an artist before an audience, much like a creator in front of the canvas.
Thus, the question arises: how can performing arts and visual arts be reconciled? How might one manifest the term "art"? Ultimately, everything blends together for Rolf Knie. He achieves the balancing act, moving between genres—more empathetic and direct than anything else could be. Rolf Knie's extensive body of work, with paintings, sculptures, and drawings, has found its way into renowned collections. Exhibitions both at home and abroad affirm his success and his position in contemporary art.
How I Became an Artist
It all started in the circus, also in painting.
At an early age, Rolf Knie came into contact with artists who introduced him to painting. For example, Hans Falk, who accompanied the circus in the late 1970s for several years and documented life on the tours, taught him the basics of drawing and watercolor painting. Even Knie's early childhood drawings reflect the overflowing imagination of a young person surrounded and inspired by countless magical things. "When I was bored in school, I would sketch, which I later finished at home. It caused me trouble when I was more interested in my sketches than the subject the teacher tried to teach me."
Rolf Knie finds his motifs in front of the circus wagons' steps, by the stables of horses, and the cages of lions and leopards. He observes and portrays clowns and acrobats just before their performance. Technical details of ropes, trapezes, spotlights, and performer equipment also fascinate Rolf Knie. "My focus wandered across the entire circus grounds. I painted it from the inside and out, at all times. Whether cold or warm, sunny or windy, depending on the surroundings and mood, my paintings were created."
In 1980, Rolf Knie sold his first painting at St. James’ Fine Art Cabinet in Zurich for 600 CHF. The watercolor from 1977 depicts a fleeting, almost solitary snapshot far from the bustle of the ring. The Circus Knie is performing in front of the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" publishing house. A few tents here and there, enclosures for the animals, and the accommodations of the performers and acrobats. The scene feels idyllic, sometimes calm and deserted. A quiet, melancholic impression, and also painterly remarkably precise. Almost documentary and illustrative. The reduction to one side, and on the other hand, the focus on the essential. One may get a faint impression of the mood when the curtain falls. Eight years later, Rolf Knie buys back this very painting at an auction for 6000 CHF. "It's like the first girlfriend – you never forget her. You want to preserve it."
