Robert Knoke is an artist known for his inky, stylized portraits of chic
men and women like Bernhard Willhelm, Rick Owens, Patti Smith and Walter van Beirendonck. His recently released book, 01 Black Material, published by Collective V and Project 00, was celebrated with a launch at the New Museum in New York. The 240-page book is a collection of drawings and details from his Portrait Series, which is a roster of some of the most unique people working in culture today. We spoke to Robert about his inspirations, process and family influences.

“I started drawing from a very early age. My father was an artist too and
his studio was in the apartment. He was a figurative painter. I had old
parents, both survived the war [WWII], and you could see that trauma in his work. Struggling, naked humans… My father was always struggling with his work. Never satisfied, very self-destructive. He was always at home, and I had a little corner in the studio. So, like every little child, I
was drawing. I was just drawing a lot and it became more and more
distinct, compared to other children’s drawings. I used to copy the naked bodies of my father’s paintings when I was six. So that’s when it all started.”

“First I was doing line drawings. Very graphical. I used markers and I 
just stayed with it. That’s maybe the reason why I still do my portraits
now with markers and ballpoint pens. I just love anti-artist materials like these cheap tools. I also love glossy paints and sometimes glitter. It
gives the drawings a different depth. I use my fingers a lot. When I use
grease pencil I can do these smudges best with my fingers. That’s why my drawings show so many fingerprints. Some just happen, and some I put on consciously.”

“I perform a little when I draw. I kind of have to ‘let go’. Before I
start, I feel like I am going to a boxing match. I have to get myself into the right mood and sometimes I put music on, but when I start with the face I mostly don’t listen to anything. I try not to think. Thinking can be very counter-productive. It’s like sex. When you think too much, it doesn’t work. When I do bigger drawings with some background and I have the face ready, then I start listening to music again. I’m really dancing in front of the paper. It helps me to put the right lines on the surface."

“The new book is about the abstractions in my work. The focus is more on the details. It goes deeper into the drawing and away from the subjects. A journey into lines, black shapes and reflections. I found out that I don’t have favorite subjects. Everybody I meet can be great to draw, but sometimes I do more portraits of one person, like Casey.” Robert has done a series portraits of Casey over the last three years, including a limited edition Fischerspooner t-shirt.

More than other painters or visual artists, Knoke is inspired by music and stage performances. “I was blown away as a teenager when I saw ‘One Man Show’ by Grace Jones. I remember making a Grace Jones puppet and recreating the show as a Marionette play. I copied the whole show and played it for my parents. When music videos started, I think that had a big influence on my work and the way I visualize things. I think that kind of shows in my work now.”

“My mother studied fashion illustration and make-up, but she stopped doing all of this when she met my father because she thought he was the better artist. Typical! She always did these funny drawings of Greta Garbo or Marlene Dietrich. These 1940’s style faces. She even did her make-up that way and trained her facial expression to look like these women. Her trademark was a red lipstick. When she died I threw her last lipstick into her grave. That was actually very funny, because the lipstick made a big noise when it hit the urn!”

Blank 5 Space is currently presenting an exhibition of Knoke’s work at 
Gallery Face in Seoul, Korea. In March 2011, he will be presented in New York by Envoy Enterprises.

For more information:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ROBERT-KNOKE/36766656405

01 Blackmaterial can be purchased at The New Museum:

http://www.newmuseumstore.org/browse.cfm/00-volume-01:-black-material/4,5128.html