White Paintings
"One must hurry if one still wants to see something. Everything disappears."
These words come from Paul Cézanne. At the time, they were naturally in a different context, but they may apply to Rolf Knie's current "White Paintings." While at the end of the 19th century, the increasingly popular photography called into question the validity of visual art, today we are confronted with the continuation of the same theme.
Digital image editing, constant multimedia availability, and technical innovations as design and transport tools. Where does the question of qualitative artistic limits and possibilities remain? Rolf Knie's answer is radical. Of course, he remains loyal to the circus theme. On the canvas, he uses oil pastels to draw his "classic" motifs. Artistically brilliantly executed, but not much of it may remain. With up to eight thin layers of white acrylic paint, Rolf Knie "overpaints" his motifs, which gradually disappear. Each individual handwriting fades. What remains is a transparent, misty veil that diffuses and transforms the subjects. A suggestion to the viewer: Slow down, find peace, engage. And not least: Look closely and discover!
