Donald Judd: In Color
For Donald Judd, (1928-1994) works of art had to provoke visual sensations, which could be immediately identified and understood. They should not refer to anything else other than themselves, their shape, medium, color, space, and order. Famous for his sculptures made of colored, geometrical boxes constructed from industrial materials installed either on the wall or on the floor, and for his furniture Judd is now considered one of the most prominent artists of the second half of the twentieth century.
Judd started as a New York Abstract Expressionist painter in the mid-1950's, but soon by 1961, he started building works in which materiality took a central place. He used modest materials such as found objects, metal, plywood, cement or perspex, and simple shapes, which he often used serially both to study space and the use that can be made of space. His radical work, devoid of dimensions of representation or illusion, of any effect of composition or hierarchy between its components, seems to contradict the ideals of traditional Western sculpture. This uncompromising approach, free of sentimentality, was the trademark for all of his career.
This approach can also be found in his furniture designs. Donald Judd started creating furniture in 1977 for himself and his children before beginning to design furniture that would commercially produced by 1984. The furniture was first made of coarse pine planks, and then of finer hardwoods, colored plywood, painted aluminum, and copper. These pieces are still being produced by Judd Foundation and are synonymous with timeless and long-lasting design made with sober but sturdy materials, and highly-precise fabrication techniques.
For this exhibition, JGM. Galerie presents Judd Furniture pieces produced specifically by Judd Foundation along with preparatory drawings for the furniture. The gallery has selected a series of colored wood and metal furniture which, despite their industrial aspect, are not only handmade and expertly finished according to the standards defined by Donald Judd himself, but clearly illustrate the rigour and precision of the artist's work. Two sculptures, including an exceptional copper and perplex work, and original drawings, will also be featured in the show.
Donald Judd's work has been widely exhibited in the most prestigious institutions around the world, including MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum in New York and Tate Modern in London. His works can also be seen in Marfa, Texas, where he lived and worked for the last twenty years of his life and where many permanent installations are located at both the Judd and Chinati Foundation's.
