Donald Judd Fitration

Filtration J O N A S TA N G

A GRAHPICAL DIALOGUE WITH DOANLD JUDD

S03665001 YEAR 3 undergraduate

THE EDITOR

J o n a s TA N G C H I N H O N G

H A B I TAT I O N S T U D I O 2005-2006 TERM 2 ARCHITECTURE.CUHK ARC4302 in STUDIES OF SELECTED PERIODS OF WORKS OF ARCHITECTURE CONDUCTED BY Professor JOHN LIN

is expressed by simple geometr y, pure colour and fine craftsmanship. He saw ar t work as an entity, to be viewed as a whole, within its context, to the viewer scale, changes of light and the angle of perception.

Art Position His serious attitude towards art drives a concentration to how his work exhibit. He wanted his art to be situated in a neutral space, which brings a strong focus towards his art, rather than a by-itself stunning museum space. The permanent exhibition he strived for can tell his seriousness towards time.

DONALD JUDD

Donald Judd is regarded as a minimalist. His work of art

The Geometry and the Materials The material he used is plexiglass, aluminum, highly polished, galvanized iron, stainless steel, and enameled or anodized aluminum. In line with the Bauhaus or de Stijl architectural language, he used self-coloured materials and avoided any ambiguous definition of geometr y. Within the limits of labor and money, he tried to make his “specific objects� efficient to transport, cheap to make and easy to resemble. A very controversial issue arouse when he make his work of art as prefabricated, which is also always his sprit of ar t-mak ing. For treating such machine-made materials, he aims at retaining its pure geometry and devoid any trace of treatment of human hand, the very detail handcraftsmanship, though present, but was invisible in his artwork.

Cadmium Red He preferred cadmium red as the colour many of his specific objects, because this colour is more definitive. It can define different plane under light. It produces sharp edges and an entire volumetric sense. It arouses certain kind of enlightenment too.

I am glad that I learnt you from different sources.

Yo u r w o r k i s s i m p l e b u t r i c h .

They embrace no dominating aspects of qualities.

S i t e , G e o m e t r y, L i g h t , C o l o u r, Te x t u r e , M a t e r i a l s . . .

yet all are related to each other.

I hope,

through this book,

I can have a dialogue with your work

as a graphical dialogue with you

in terms of different aspects of qualities mentioned...

J o n a s Ta n g

THE BEGINNING

Dear Donald Judd,

PA R T 0 C O N T E N T S

PA R T O N E PHOTOGRAPHIC DISCUSSION

WA L L E D VOLUME

03

WA L L E D F L O O R COLOUR B O X E S VOLUME

01 04

C A N T I - large L E V E R scale STACKS

02 05

PA R T T W O GRAPHICAL DIALOGUE

WA L L E D VOLUME

03

WA L L E D F L O O R COLOUR B O X E S VOLUME

01 04

C A N T I - large L E V E R scale STACKS

02 05

PA R T 1 P H O T O G R A P H I C D I S C U S S I O N

Photographic Discussion T h i s p a r t i s t o p r o v i d e d i f f e r e n t i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f J u d d ’s w o r k b y m e a n s o f f r a m i n g . J u d d ’s w o r k i s a l w a y s u n d e r - o b s e r v e d due to their simplicity. The work gave a strong impression to the museum spaces and the observers. What is more than that is a detailed and layered complexity which is always underobserved.

Photographic record serves to be a good source of finding what the practical and technical side of his work is. Both of his work and De Stijl ar t shares the same pictorial quality, which is demanding a certain extent of technical details as a transition from the theoretical to the practical.

The point, line, plane, volume geometric relationship is shown to be clearer and more definitive with proper framing. A cer-

tain issue of details illustrates that the precision came from the meaning of definition rather than technical achievements.

P H O T O O B S E R VAT I O N 0 1 F L O O R boxes

01 Floor Boxes Donald Judd positioned himself a sculptor more than a painter. He prefer red the multiple -angles and looseness from control of vie w that painting cannot achie ved for. H is spir it towards the “floor boxes� is an object without any specific viewing angle, which just simply exists. His work is usually just central in the room, without any frontal and back. All the time he makes his art work quiet and static. The stableness of the objects is suggesting definitive places for them but without any traces of dynamic balance and kinetic movements.

05

Untitled, 1968/1991 Douglas fir plywood painted, aluminium 19 1/2” x 45” x 30 1/2” (cat. no.4)

Untitled, 1962/1987 Douglas fir plywood painted 19 1/2” x 45” x 30 1/2” (cat. no.2)

DSS 41 light cadmium red oil on wood 49.5 x 115.6 x 77.5 cm

DSS 39 light cadmium red oil on wood with iron pipe 56.2 x 115.3 x 80cm

DSS 46 chartreuse oil on wood and yellow enamel on iron 49.5 x112 x 86.4 cm

Untitled, 1964 oil on wood , enameled iron 19 1/2” x 48” x 34”

Untitled 1969 clear anodized aluminium, plexiglass, 33” x 68” x 48” (cat. no.6)

DSS 57 (illustrated example 1970) brass and red enamel on wood 54.6 x 125.5 x 92.7 cm

DSS 82 amber plexiglass and stainless steel 50.8 x 122 x 86.4 cm

05

05

05

05

05

05

P H O T O O B S E R VAT I O N 0 2 C A N T I L E V E R S TA C K S

02 Cantilever Stacks These stacks, layered, cantilevered box was one of his famous series. He arranged the box precisely such that every interval is the same. This is an object of non-scale. The ambience light the colour volume is perceived as a ne w perception to colour, where colour is not painted in materials surface, but is actually visible in the air. The anodized aluminum wrapping used in some stacks art piece suggest a cool and reflective way to see the colour.

DSS 69 (exhibition example 1969) blue lacquer on galvanized iron 15.3 x 68.6 x 61 cm

Untitled, 1993 copper with wrap around plexiglass 10 units each 9 7/8” x 39 3/4” x 30 1/2” (cat. no.27)

Untitled, 1990 stainless steel, plexiglass 10 units each 9 7/8 “ x 39 3/4” x 30 1/2” (cat. no.20)

Untitled, 1990

Untitled, 1992 stainless steel, plexiglass 10 units each 6 1/8” x 24” x 27”

DSS 65 galvanized iron 7 parts each 23 x 101.6 x 76.2 cm distance each 23cm

F R O M S TA C K S TO WA L L E D V O LU M E

P H O T O O B S E R VAT I O N 0 3 WA L L E D V O LU M E

03 Walled Volume This is the beginning of another series where boxes are painted internally a pure colour and the volume of colour is perceived, such that colour occupies space and viewer angle changed in a progressive manner to different intervals.

There are 2 sub-series; they are different from their encasing, one with wood and the other with aluminum. For Judd, to use aluminum sheet is an advancement from wood, as is provides thinner and finer line, which is more definitive in the geometry of the specific objects and it cools down the light and equalize the surface, where wood is washed and with rich textures.

S TA C K S TO WA L L E D V O LU M E

Untitled, 1988 aluminium, plexiglass 9 7/8” x 39 3/4” x 9 7/8” (cat. no.12)

Untitled, 1991 aluminium, anodized aluminium, transparent blue over red plexiglass 9 7/8” x 39 3/4” x 9 7/8” (cat. no.24)

Untitled, 1988 aluminium, plexiglass 9 7/8” x 39 3/4” x 9 7/8” (cat. no.12)

Untitled, 1991 aluminium, anodized aluminium, plexiglass 9 7/8” x 39 3/4” x 9 7/8” (cat. no.22)

Untitled, 1991 aluminium, anodized aluminium, plexiglass 9 7/8” x 39 3/4” x 9 7/8” (cat. no.22)

Untitled, 1991 aluminium, transparent yellow over red plexiglass, 9 7/8” x 39 2/4” x 9 7/8” (cat. no.23)

Untitled, 1991 aluminium, anodized aluminium, transparent blue over red plexiglass 9 7/8” x 39 3/4” x 9 7/8” (cat. no.24)

Untitled, 1991 aluminium, transparent yellow over red plexiglass, 9 7/8” x 39 2/4” x 9 7/8” (cat. no.23)

Untitled, 1986 Douglas fir plywood, plexiglass 39 3/4” x 39 3/4” x 19 5/8”

Untitled, 1991 Carrten steel, painted black 4 units each 39 1/4” x 39 3/4” x 19 5/8”

P H O T O O B S E R VAT I O N 0 4 WA L L E D CO LO U R V O LU M E

04 Walled colour volume The 2 colour was arranged in the sense that no one is stronger than the other and there is no clue which is primary and secondar y, they co- exist in the same value.

Central to the colour arrangement was the exhibition “Dona l d J u d d C o l o u r i s t �. H e c a r e f u l l y a r r a n g e d c o l o u r i n l o n g s t r i p box and place them in relationship to each other so that no colour is dominant, the colour existed in the internal surface of the box reflec ts to give an other inter pretation of colour, though the colour is pure for its surface, Judd, tends to addresses the existence of space of colour is gradual.

progressions a transition to walled colour volume

Untitled 1969 lacquer on anodized aluminium, 6 1/8” x 110 3/4” x 6” (cat. no.7)

Untitled, 1985 enameled aluminium 11 7/8” x 118” x 11 7/8” (cat. no.9)

Untitled, 1987 enameled aluminium 2 units each 11 7/8” x 141 1/2” x 11 7/8” (cat. no.11)

Untitled, 1987 enameled aluminium 2 units each 11 7/8” x 141 1/2” x 11 7/8” (cat. no.11)

Untitled, 1985 enameled aluminium, 11 7/8” x 35 1/2” x 11 7/8” (cat. no.8)

Untitled, 1989 enameled aluminium, 11 7/8” x 70 7/8” x 11 7/8” (cat. no.15)

Untitled, 1989 enameled aluminium, 11 2/8” x 70 2/8” x 11 7/8” (cat. no.13)

Untitled, 1985 enameled aluminium, 11 7/8” x 59” x 11 7/8” (cat. no.10)

P H O T O O B S E R VAT I O N 0 5 L arge - scale

05 Large Scale Scale and time is a central issue of exhibition. He saw the exhibition not a temporal display of certain kind of art work and a seasonal switch from various artists. But it is really a sitespecific art piece which exists in its time and place axis. He managed to hold a permanent exhibition in his own building.

The exhibition is a display of his and other selected artists work.

Under certain foundation, he managed to have permanent installation work, which is philosophically in line with his art attitudes.

Untitled, 1991 aluminium 5 units each 59” x 59” x 59”

Chinati Foundation permanent installation of concrete work

by Donald Judd

Chinati Foundation, south artillery shed with permanent installation of 48 works

by Donald Judd

Chinati Foundation, north artillery shed with permanent installation of 52 works

by Donald Judd

PA R T 2 G R A P H I C A L D I A L O G U E

Graphical Dialogue T h i s p a r t i s t o p r o v i d e a g r a p h i c a l a n a l y s i s o f J u d d ’s w o r k , i n terms of various single aspects of picturesque quality, e.g. point, line, plane (surface), volume, materials, light, solid, void …. It inherited a strong relationship among them.

T h e g r a p h i c a l s t u d y i s a t h e o r e t i c a l r e - c o n s t r u c t o f J u d d ’s wor k on paper. I t goes be yond the pure simplicit y and neatness of the minimal quality. I t also brings out the discussion o f r i c h n e s s t o w a r d s J u d d ’s w o r k . M o s t o f t e n , t h e r i c h n e s s comes from the complexity of geometry and the materials quality.

graphical dialogue 0 1 floor box

meet 3 lines | intersect

meet 2 lines | folding

meet 0 or 1 line | vanishing

lines |

differentiated lines | meet 3 plane | turning plane

meet 2 plane | folding

meet 0 or 1 plane | edge

lines with texture |

outlines |

colour |

differentitated colours |

colour gradients |

ground |

figure |

texture |

graphical dialogue 0 2 the walled stacks

points |

points | meet 3 lines | intersect

meet 2 lines | folding

meet 0 or 1 line | vanishing

lines |

meet 3 plane | turning plane

meet 2 plane | folding

meet 0 or 1 plane | edge

differentiated lines |

strong planes |

less strong planes |

planes under light |

colour gradients |

solid and void |

solid and void |

graphical dialogue 0 3 the walled volume

coloured planes |

lines |

detail lines |

reflection lines |

meet 3 plane | turning plane

meet 2 plane | folding

meet 0 or 1 plane | edge

solid and void |

points | meet 3 lines | intersect

meet 2 lines | folding

meet 0 or 1 line | vanishing

reflection points |

shadows |

graphical dialogue 0 4 the walled C O L O U R volume

joints |

meet 3 lines | intersect

meet 2 lines | folding

meet 0 or 1 line | vanishing

lines |

strong lines |

meet 3 plane | edge

meet 2 plane | folding

meet 0 or 1 plane | division

colour planes |

planes forms enclose |

other planes |

solid and void

void_plane

strong lines |

colours and light

graphical dialogue 0 5 large scale

the site |

lines |

detail lines |

plane without tube |

supporting tube bent inward |

supporting tube bent outward |

solid and void |

points | meet 3 lines | intersect

meet 2 lines | folding

meet 0 or 1 line | vanishing

meet 3 plane | edge

meet 2 plane | folding

meet 0 or 1 plane | division

lines |

1971 M o v e d t o M a r f a , Te x a s 1976 Baldwin Professor at Oberlin College, Ohio 1986 Opening of a permanent exhibition of his works at the Chinati Foundation, Mar fa 1987 Awarded the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture by the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Mayne, and the Brandeis University Medal for Sculpture by Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 1992 Prize from the Stankowski Foundation, Stuttgar t 1993 Award from the Sik kens Foundation, Sassenheim, the Netherlands 1994 Donald Judd died on 12 Febr u a r y i n N e w Yo r k

BIOGRAPHY

1928 Born on 3 June in Excelsior Spring, Missouri 1948/49 Studied at the College of William and Mar y, Williamsburg 1948-1953 Studied at the Art Students Le a g u e , N e w Yo r k S t u d i e d a t C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y, N e w Yo r k , qualifying in Philosophy 1957-1962 Studied Art History at Columbia U n i v e r s i t y, N e w Yo r k 1959-1965 Art critic for various magazines 1962-1964 Ta u g h t a t B r o o k l y n I n s t i t u t e o f Arts and Sciences, B r o o k l y n , N e w Yo r k 1967 Ta u g h t a t Ya l e U n i v e r s i t y, N e w Haven 1968 Bought the building at 101 Spring Street in New Yo r k . Aw a r d e d a G u g g e n h e i m Fe l lowship

Diet-

Lisbon : Ministério de Cul-

mar Elger (ed.). Bonn : Hatje

tura : Centro Cultural de

Cantz Publishers, c2000.

Belém, c1997.

Donald Judd, Architektur

Donald Judd : 1955-1968

Herausgegeben von Marianne

/ [conception and realisa-

Stockebrand. Stuttgart : Edi-

tion], Thomas Kellein. New

tion Cantz, 1992.

Y o r k : D . A . P. , c 2 0 0 2 .

Art + design : Donald Judd [katalogredaktion, Renate Petzinger, Hanne Dannenberg er].[Stuttgart] : Cantz Verlag, c1993.

Donald Judd : Escultura, gravura, mobiliário = sculpture, prints, furniture

Cen-

tro Cultural de Belém, 1997 / [Coordenaçõ editorial, Clara Tá v o r a V i l a r, N u n o C a r v a l h o ] .

REFERENCE

Donald Judd, colorist

Colour Key

meet 3 lines | intersect

meet 2 lines | folding

meet 0 or 1 line | vanishing

meet 3 plane | turning plane

meet 2 plane | folding

meet 0 or 1 plane | edge

points |

differentiated lines |