A serial working method and constant experiments with modulation are particularly typical of Imi Knoebel's extremely systematic artistic work. At times, the artist assembles his geometric compositions from colored foil strips, often developed from the basic shapes of rectangles and squares, or even transfers this working method into the third dimension by painting on aluminum rods or - as in the present case - on wooden surfaces constructed with a spatial depth. Formally, Knoebel opts for a fragmented portrait format in "Rot-Weiss", the parts of which are not only contrasting in color but are also spatially accentuated by seams. This way Knoebel achieves a maximum increase of the intrinsic value of the color in this work. At the same time, the artist subtly structures the surface with the brushstrokes. Brushes and paint cover the smooth surface of the wood in a layer of color and style, a painterly flesh tone. In his famous series of works "Rot-Weiss" Knoebel explored a multitude of possible variations and associations in portrait format. This minimalist joy of modulation and the free play with the partly representational associations also characterize the three-part portfolio "Rot-Weiss", in which Knoebel explores this wealth of variation in the form of collaged color silkscreens. Our unique piece on wood, which was created in the context of this work complex, transfers this creative play with modulation into a monumental format and the play with figurative associations, which always resonates indirectly, is not left out in our composition either, since in Knoebel's rectangular modulations - no matter what color they come in - like it is the case with contemporaneous series of works "Portraits" and "Grace Kelly" - the idea of a stylized face usually also resonates. Even in our radically reduced giant format "Red-White", our sense of vision tries to work according to known criteria and so when we look at it for a long time, we inevitably get the feeling of having a stylized face in front of us with a red mouth that has slipped from the horizontal to the vertical. This subtle balance of tense disbalance and calming symmetry characterizes the present composition in a decisive way, in addition to its enormous spatial and tactile presence. Knoebel's radically abstract creations, be they two- or three-dimensional, always have the square or rectangle as a starting point, from which Knoebel starts with his artistic enthusiasm for the almost infinite range of variations of abstract formations. This way the Beuys student Knoebel has repeatedly created radically new things that are always based on the intrinsic value of the color. When asked about the idiosyncratic contrast between the wild artistic actions of the early years and the enormous rigor of the artistic expression he had attained, Knoebel once saiid: "An important part of this was the Russians, the Russian movement around Malevich.. at that time this book 'The objectless world' . We were fascinated by the Black Square. For us, that was the phenomenon that completely captivated us ." (quoted from: Imi Knoebel. Retrospektive 1968-1996, ex. cat. Haus der Kunst, Munich 1996, p. 279). In addition to Malevich and the constructivist painting, Knoebel's color and variation-based work was also decisively influenced by Jawlensky's famous "Meditations" and the groundbreaking oeuvre of his early deceased fellow artist Blinky Palermo. [JS]