Donald Judd - Contemporary Art Part I New York Thursday, May 13, 2010 | Phillips

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  • Provenance


    Susan Sheehan, New York

  • Catalogue Essay


    The simple composition and structure of Untitled (1968-76) is typical of Donald Judd, known for his reductionist approach to art. He sought to democratize the field in reaction to the conventional justifications of Abstract Expression –a movement that emphasized spontaneous and subconscious creative processes. As the forefather of Minimalism, Judd advocated rigorous and deliberate creation without compositional hierarchy or medium classification. His works were neither paintings nor sculptures and instead, meaningful structures stripped down to their bare essentials. Judd supported the use of industrial machinery to create his threedimensional works. His geometric forms were manufactured with exactitude, down to their basic forms. In Untitled (1968-76), the cadmium red provides an enriching aesthetic –an updated version of color-field paintings. The bright crimson hue stands out in delectable contrast to the neutrality of the wood; the cheeriness of the cherry red against the preciseness of the structure, presents viewers with a powerful visual tension.
     
    There are many examples of seriality and diagrammatic forms throughout Judd’s work. While wood is a seemingly basic material, he added grooves that progress and recess –a subtle incremental pattern that moves left to right and vice versa. The repetition of lines combined with the vivid coloration is electric and surprisingly meditative.
     
    Untitled (1968-76) is a prime example of the artist’s oeuvre –manufactured, robust, and simplified. And yet the piece is complex and reflects Judd’s love of psychology, physiology, mathematics, and engineering.

  • Artist Biography

    Donald Judd

    American • 1928 - 1994

    Donald Judd came to critical acclaim in the 1960s with his simple, yet revolutionary, three-dimensional floor and wall objects made from new industrial materials, such as anodized aluminum, plywood and Plexiglas, which had no precedent in the visual arts. His oeuvre is characterized by the central constitutive elements of color, material and space. Rejecting the illusionism of painting and seeking an aesthetic freed from metaphorical associations, Judd sought to explore the relationship between art object, viewer and surrounding space with his so-called "specific objects." From the outset of his three-decade-long career, Judd delegated the fabrication to specialized technicians. Though associated with the minimalist movement, Judd did not wish to confine his practice to this categorization.

     

    Inspired by architecture, the artist also designed and produced his own furniture, predominantly in wood, and eventually hired a diverse team of carpenters late in his career.

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PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN COLLECTION

132

Untitled (1968-76)

1968-76

Cadmium red paint on wood.

20 7/8 x 17 x 2 in. (53 x 43 x 5 cm).
Signed "Judd" on the reverse.

Estimate
$80,000 - 120,000 

Sold for $86,500

Contemporary Art Part I

13 May 2010
New York