Manfred Kuttner’s neon patterns demonstrate his interest in exploring the process of painting itself, using nonrepresentational designs to break down the picture plane. His work is a painterly take on Op art: while seemingly rigid in formulation, Kuttner’s paintings incorporate occasional drips of paint and visible brushstrokes and reject exacting symmetry. His lively visual rhythms led critics to call his work “kinetic” art when Kuttner established his reputation in early 1960s Dusseldorf, showing alongside prominent German artists and New Fauves Gerhard Richter and Sigmar Polke. Kuttner was only productive for three years, abandoning his practice at age 28.