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  • Graphic / Lithography

  • Graphic / Lithography

  • Graphic / Lithography

ROLF KNIE Catalog of Graphic Prints, Bronzes, and Multiples

The ideal offering for all collectors and Rolf Knie fans who own a Rolf Knie graphic or sculpture:
The new catalog of Rolf Knie is now available for purchase.

  • Bookstore edition
  • Rolf Knie Graphic Prints – Bronzes – Multiples
  • Published by Walter-Karl Walde
  • Texts by Walter-Karl Walde and Peter Rothenbühler
  • Text in German/English, 288 pages with over 200 color images
  • Supplement from 2008 - 2022 is currently being prepared

SERIGRAPHY - An Original or "Just" a Print

The argument is certainly valid that print editions aim to bring art closer to people for whom original paintings are usually not affordable. However, print graphics should not be understood as a lesser medium. For a long time, there was an almost dogmatic belief that a print graphic could only be called an original if the artist created the printing form himself – meaning the woodcut block for woodcuts, the copper plate for etchings, the stone for lithographs, and the screen for serigraphy. If we define the terms so narrowly, we would have to deny the "authenticity" of the printed works of great masters of the 16th and 17th centuries.

For example, Albrecht Dürer employed a whole group of students who created the woodcut blocks for his works based on his designs. Or how can one determine whether a lithograph by Marc Chagall was drawn by him or by his lithographer Sorlier? Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Joseph Beuys, or Max Bill have all demonstrably not made their own printing forms. One could even take it a step further: Jeff Koons develops the image concept for some of his series on the computer, collages his motifs together, and assigns each small section a number. Based on this number, Koons' numerous workshop assistants know which color to use for their personalized "paint-by-numbers" game. So where does one draw the line between an original and a non-original?
What if an artist adds applications or overpaints his prints later? Does one then simply describe it as "unique within the edition"? Rolf Knie's "Multiples" are strictly limited, numbered, signed, and equipped with an invisible security code. Together with his print technical advisor Renzo Nuraca, Rolf Knie experiments with extruding (pushing out) colors that feel slightly plastic and even have a lightly relief-like effect. With such sensually tangible texture and his popular color variations, Rolf Knie has ventured into a new dimension of print graphics.

Secutec- Die Sicherung der Grafiken

Product Counterfeiting...

Rolf Knie's "Multiples" are strictly limited, numbered, signed, and equipped with an invisible security code.
We make your goods completely counterfeit-proof.
Legally secure plagiarism protection against product counterfeiting.
A security system also used by Rolf Knie on his artworks.

Product video with Rolf Knie
Fälschungssichere Grafiken

Original and Reproduction - Graphics - Screen Printing - Serigraphy - Lithography

While the general understanding of the term "original" includes the concept of uniqueness, every print (unless it is a photomechanical reproduction) is considered an original. The number of copies does not matter in this context. The uniqueness refers to the expression of the artistic thoughts, concepts, and ideas that can only be realized with the technical means of printing. Lothar Lang wrote: "... [the original print] has specific expressive capabilities that are unique to it and can only be realized through the means of graphic techniques. In this sense, print graphics cannot be replaced by any other visual art, nor can it be dissolved into any other medium of imagery: The uniqueness of print graphics cannot be questioned."

Screen Printing - Graphics

Screen printing is a printing technique in which the printing ink is pushed through a fine mesh fabric onto the material to be printed using a rubber squeegee. At the points on the fabric where no ink should be printed according to the design, the mesh openings are made impermeable to the ink by using a stencil.

When printing serigraphs, the artist should consider the following aspects: The design can be drawn directly onto the screen or onto a transparent film, or exposed onto film from computer data (the films or films are then photographically copied onto the screen). The printing form should only be used for printing the art graphic, not for printing additional advertising (e.g., exhibition posters). The print sheets must be signed and numbered, and high editions (number of sheets) should be avoided. Raster prints should only be used if required for the artistic realization of the motif (pure "photoprints" in four-color raster printing are often considered "reproductions"). Films made photographically or drawn copying templates should be destroyed after printing to prevent unauthorized reprints. Experiments with the great possibilities of the screen printing process (glazes, opaque colors, relief printing, color changes, iris printing, etc.) often enhance the expressive power of a screen printing graphic. See Wikipedia

Lithography – The Stone Printing Process

The term lithography is derived from the ancient Greek: lithos, "stone," and graphein, "to write." This term already describes the printing process quite well. The design to be printed is drawn in reverse with greasy chalk or ink directly onto a smoothly polished stone plate. This plate is then treated with etching fluid. In areas where there is no drawing, the fluid penetrates the pores of the stone. Later, when the printing ink is rolled onto the plate, the ink only adheres to the drawn lines. The rest of the treated area repels the ink. Therefore, lithography is classified as a planographic printing process. At that time, Solnhofen limestone was used for this, as its fine grain made it particularly suitable for the process.

Signature and Numbering

The handwritten signature under a work by the respective artist guarantees that it is an original print, where the printing plate was created by the artist himself and printed by hand in a limited edition by him or a printer. Pencil is typically used for the signature, as it is difficult to erase or alter without damaging the paper fibers. The signature is usually placed in the lower right corner, while the title of the print is generally centered.

The edition is numbered according to the print sequence. A print marked, for example, 20/100 is the 20th print of an edition of 100 pieces. The numbering is usually noted in the lower left corner of the print.

Épreuve d'artiste (E.A.)

Artist's proof copies of a graphic edition. Since these prints are made before the edition is printed, they convey a sense of the creative atmosphere of the production process, which makes these sheets particularly sought after by collectors. They are marked with E.A. and are typically numbered with Roman numerals.

Multiple

The term for an art object (sculpture, installation) that the artist intends to be produced in several copies in a limited and numbered edition. The multiple allows for the "democratization" of art by making the work accessible and affordable to a wider audience.

Edition / Limitation

The number of prints, casts, or objects of an artwork, such as a graphic print, photograph, or multiple, created by the artist. The number and division are determined by the artist, the publisher, and the technical process. In addition to the edition, a number of E.A. (Épreuves d'Artiste = artist's proofs) or H.C. (Hors Commerce = not for sale) copies are typically made for the artist or the publisher. The edition is numbered by the artist with Arabic numerals, while E.A. copies are usually numbered with Roman numerals and signed by hand. After the edition is printed, the plates are rendered unusable for further prints. In the case of sculptures, the original wax model is usually destroyed. The strict limitation and control of the edition is an important and value-defining factor for a limited art edition.

Certificate

A document in which art-historical and production details of an object are officially confirmed in writing. For limited editions, the certificate also includes the number of the limited edition as well as the limitation number of the specific copy.

Collage

A work in which the artist creates the motif from various materials such as pieces of paper, wallpaper, fabric scraps, wire mesh, etc. This gives the artwork its extension into the third dimension.

Graphics / Lithographs - Serigraphs Rolf Knie Listed Over the Years
1983 - 2022


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