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 Donald Judd UNTITLED 1971 |
Donald Judd (1928-1994) was one of the foremost practitioners of Minimal
Art, which had its apex in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the wake
of Abstract Expressionism and its highly subjective, mystical focus, Judd
and other Minimalists sought to create a depersonalized art in which the
physical properties of space, scale, and materials were explored as phenomena
of interest on their own, rather than as metaphors for human experience.
"A shape, a volume, a color, a surface is something itself," Judd wrote.
"It shouldn't be concealed as part of a fairly different whole."
The Essential Donald Judd features a small but choice group of
objects and prints drawn from the Walker's permanent collection. Highlights
include the newly restored untitled (1971), a group of six large-scale
aluminum cubes that is rarely exhibited due to its size, and an important
portfolio of 30 woodblock prints that will be presented for the first
time since its acquisition.
 Donald Judd UNTITLED 1969/1982 |
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In the 1960s, Judd became well known for sleek, boxlike constructions
made of industrial materials such as plywood, sheet metal, and plexiglass
that were painted using commercial techniques. Stacked, aligned, cantilevered,
or centered, their strict geometric arrangements--often derived from mathematical
progressions--eliminate the idea of composition and achieve a singular
focus on the object itself. They combine elements of architecture, sculpture,
and painting, and though they are resolutely three-dimensional, Judd refused
to call them sculpture, a term he associated with the hand-crafted art
of an earlier era. Instead, he referred to them as "specific objects"--a
phrase meant to suggest their neutral, discrete nature.
Because of limited exhibition space, much of the work on view in this
exhibition is rarely seen by the public. By bringing together these key
sculptures and works on paper, The Essential Donald Judd presents
a rare opportunity for viewers to explore this artist's ideas and objects
through the extraordinary depth of the Walker's permanent collection.