Imi Knoebel (b. 1940) is known for his minimalist, abstract painting and sculpture. The "Messerschnitt" or "knife cuts," is a recurring technique he employs, along with his regular use of the primary colors, red, yellow and blue. Knoebel lives and works in Düsseldorf.
Knoebel's work explores the relationship between space, picture support, and color. The style and formal concerns of his painting and sculpture have drawn comparisons with the high modernist principles of both Kazimir Malevich and the Bauhaus.
Knoebel has exhibited his works in documentas 5 (1972), 6 (1977), 7 (1982), and 8 (1987), and at Sonsbeek (1971). In 1996 the Haus der Kunst, Munich, staged a large retrospective of his works which travelled throughout Europe, including such venues as the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, and Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Centre Julio González, Valencia. His work is in the private collection of the Museum of Modern Art, the Dia Art Foundation, and many others.