Donald Judd
June 3, 1928 - February 12, 1994
Donald Judd is an American artist who is most largely associated with the Minimalist movement in the early 1960's and 1970's. Judd created numerous different kinds of artwork in a range of media (drawing, painting, etc.) but was most famous for his "Specific Objects".
Specific Objects:
In 1964 Judd wrote his manifesto; "Specific Objects" in which he explains his opinions about the art world and present art movements (Minimalism). "Specific Objects" was the term Judd used to describe most of the work he produced - as he refused to call them "sculpture". They were mostly large in scale, freestanding forms, with geometrical designs. The forms were created specifically to be simple forms, not art, not non-art, just objects.
Donald Judd - "Untitled" - 1973 - Brass and blue Plexiglas - 33 x 68 x 48 inches (83.82 x 172.7 x 121.9 cm)
Donald Judd - "Untitled" - 1971 - Orange enamel on cold-rolled steel, eight units with 12-inch intervals - 4 x 4 x 4 feet (121.9 x 121.9 x 121.9 cm) each; 4 x 39 x 4 feet (121.9 cm x 11 meters 88.7 cm x 121.9 cm) overall
Donald Judd - "Untitled" - 1968 - Brass - 22 x 48 1/4 x 36" (55.9 x 122.6 x 91.4 cm)
Donald Judd - "Untitled" - 1973 - Brass and blue Plexiglas - 33 x 68 x 48 inches (83.82 x 172.7 x 121.9 cm)
Materials:
Judd often would use raw materials in his work and praised the use of raw materials (like natural, rough, wood blocks for example). Judd would often get his working materials straight from the manufacturers (steel plants). He also believed that the color of the materials should be as natural as possible. For example, he used special chemical processes to change the color of the iron in his pieces, instead of adding a layer of paint to change the color.
Philosophy:
Judd disliked painting because it was illusionistic (trying to paint a tree so it would look like a tree) and because of the over-working of materials (he believed that multiple layers of paint on a canvas was unnecessarily complicated. Judd generally believed that good art was simple in construction, large in scale, and non-anthropomorphic (not relating to the human body/figure).
Residencies:
In 1961 Judd and Kusama resided in the same building in New York City where they worked alongside each other in creating art. In 1968 Judd purchased his home in Soho at 101 Spring Street. This building served as his home and working studio for numerous years throughout his life. 101 Spring is filled with art from numerous of his artist friends including but not limited to: Chaimberlan, Andre, Flavin, and Stella.
Now here's a little more about Judd, from the man himself:
Now that you've learned a little bit about Judd, his life, and his philosophies, here are some of his works, his "Specific Objects".