sᴇʟᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴀʀᴛᴡᴏʀᴋ: ᴅᴏɴᴀʟᴅ ᴊᴜᴅᴅ, ᴜɴᴛɪᴛʟᴇᴅ (sᴛᴀᴄᴋ), 1967

                79 - 81

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             Early Career

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Donald Judd born in 1928 in Excelsior Springs, MO

childhood in various Midwest cities

high school in NJ, enlist in army after graduation

serve a year in Corp of Engineers, stationed in Korea,

survey airport landing strip, supervise construction of 

prefabricated buildings

1948 - enroll in classes at Art Students League in NY

left few months later for College of William and Mary

return to Art Students League after 2 semesters, committed 

to idea of becoming artist or architect

enroll in Columbia University, graduate with degree in 

philosophy in 1953

several group shows in NY

1958 - return to Columbia for masters in art history, studying

with Meyer Schapiro

began writing art criticism for Art News, wrote for publications

dedicated to contemporary art

1950s-1960s - primarily made paintings

create abstract works based on landscapes, shift more geometric

1961 - relief painting with curved top and bottom edges

1962 - abandoned painting, make 3d wall or floor objects

1963 - 1st solo show

1964 - develop forms that would make him famous

Minimalist - along with Dan Flavin, Sol LeWitt, Carl Andre, 

Frank Stella, rejected term, previously used as pejorative

1968 - purchase 5 story building in NY's SoHo neighborhood,

favorite of bohemian artists in 1960s-70s

create permanent installation of own objects, and those of fellow

artists, including Flavin, whom he met in 1962

purchase properties in Marfa, TX

number of sites become permanent installations by Judd,

Flavin, John Chamberlain, Richard Long, town developed into

art pilgrimage since Judd's death in 1994

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  Essay "Specific Objects"

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1965, most influential text

advocate recent artworks that were 3d objects

parameters: 3d work, as opposed to sculpture, meant to be

perceived as whole object, not various parts

art ought to extend into real space, engage environment and viewers

modern art critic Michael Fried argue in 1967 essay "Art and 

Objecthood" "stage presence of Minimalist objects turn viewers

into active subjects

rely on parameters of artistic medium to judge what is good

argued back and forth for years, no resolution to legitimacy of

Minimalist art

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               Analysis

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1967 - 12 units, 9 x 40 x 31 inches

9 inch space between each unit

project nearly 3 ft from wall

precisely manufactured from galvanized iron, unfinished on 

top and bottom, painted sides emerald green with lacquer paint

used for custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles

1967 - limit stacks and progressions to few standard sizes

varied colours and materials, experiment with vibrant hues

can be altered depending on height of ceiling, units can be removed

flexibility sign of work as a whole relative to individual parts

draws attention to relationship to architecture of space

interest in serial progression and repetition reminiscent of Andy

Warhol's approach to printed imagery

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          Fabrication and
         The Artist's Hand

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industrial look

1964 - work produced by professional; fabrication workshop

thought he could realize intentions more fully with professionals

similar to Dan Flavin (produce artworks by drawing diagrams

of light pieces, assembled by anyone)

draw work envisioned, have it produced to specifications

aligned with industrial aesthetic engaged

influenced concurrent development of Conceptual art

production of work secondary to idea itself