Donald Judd

by David Batchelor, John Jervis, David Raskin

One of the most influential American artists of the post-war period, Donald Judd changed the course of modern sculpture. Beginning as an art critic and then a painter, Judd moved into three dimensions with the box-like structures he produced in the early 1960s, either arranged on the gallery floor or mounted on the wall. Initially constructed by hand, the sculptures were later industrially manufactured in galvanized iron, steel, Plexiglas, and plywood. His use of vibrant color, polished and reflective metals, and brightly hued lacquer confounded and continues to confound expectations of what "minimalist" sculpture should look like. This lavishly illustrated survey features 41 works from collections around the world, many of them large scale, each illustrated with full catalogue entries alongside many other major works by Judd. Contributors Nicholas Serota (Director of the Tate), Rudi Fuchs (former Director of The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam), American critics Richard Schiff and David Raskin, and British artist and critic David Batchelor explore the conflicts between previous critical interpretations of Judd and his own philosophical, political, and moral understanding of his work. Judd's critical response to the work of other artists is examined, as is the importance of color to his work, and his reaction to new man-made materials and artificially generated color in the late-20th-century environment. A section on Judd's installations at Marfa in Texas, and an extensive new chronology, compiled by Judd's assistant, Jeff Kopie, are also included. Donald Judd compromises the most thorough and up-to-date publication on Judd in print today.

Genres: Art

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 2, 2004

Reviews

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

If pushed, probably my fav artist. I never tire of looking at his work. Again with time off work over Christmas and no usual travel plans, digging into my shelves to re-read slowly utter gems like this. Wonderful photography. I went to Marfa back in 2006 and it was so good. Those big desert skies, the art, the wilderness. Reading the accompanying essays all Judd's quotes just resonate with simple logic.
"You look and think, and look and think, until it makes sense, becomes interesting."

[Bob Ackerley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book with superb essays on Judd's work. Most will learn something new from reading these essays....