Matt Margo
Judd
cPress
Matt Margo Judd Copyright Š 2014 Matt Margo All Rights Reserved Cover by Jukka-Pekka Kervinen opcode press 2014 Finland
Matt Margo
Judd
Foreword There is much that I admire about the works of Minimalist sculptor and painter Donald Judd (1928–1994), but what appeals to me most about Judd’s art is its masterful application of (and respect for) space. Observing any of his early paintings—consisting of, say, a series of horizontal white lines contained within a red rectangle contained within a white square, or perhaps a single golden oval afloat in a rectangular ocean of red—I become hyperaware not only of geometry or of symmetry or of color but also of space, and this space is metaphysical as much as it is physical. Likewise, observing any of Judd’s later sculptures—consisting of, say, a “stack” of vertical green rectangles made of galvanized
steel mounted to a wall, or perhaps a series of hollow aluminum cubes placed in the ghostly deserts of Marfa, Texas —a sacred sort of consciousness of space washes over me and leaves me filled with feelings of unadulterated wonderment and contentment. I feel wonderstruck by having a presence in the universe and content with being so unbelievably small yet so remarkably large all at once. Judd’s works invite me to read the physical world as though it were a poem and to further ponder my roles as both an author of and an audience to that world. I once proclaimed, in jest at the time, that I wanted to be the Donald Judd of poetry, and then the joke gradually metamorphosed into an actual desire, which I ended up indulging. The poem that you are about to read is asemic,
algorithmic, aleatoric… It consists of angles, lines, patterns, and shapes that are interconnected in an open and essentially arbitrary manner. No specific emotion or message is attached to it. Like Judd’s own Minimalist works, it is as it appears. And like Judd’s own Minimalist works, from the purely visual emerges the deeply spiritual—or at least, so I hope.
Judd
║┤▌╪╕╗ ╣┬┬┘┤╙ ╬╔╤═╚╞ ─╪╪╜╩╜ └╝╡═╜┌ ┼╠═╨╪═ ╓╥┴╦╔╣ ┘╠╤╖╒╩ ╫╝╬─┐┴ ╦╗│╨╨╕ ├┴╔┘╦╧ ┐╡╗╛╩╟ ╝╚╥╜┤┴ ┼╞│└╢│ ├║╥├┌└ ╔╦═├┤▌ ▌┘┴┤╓╦ ╔┬╔┬╙║ ╗╤│╬╜│ ▌╧╟╕╩╧ ╦╩║╔╟╚ ╕╣╪╕╓┐ ╞▌╩┌╖╘ ┌▌└├═┤ ┼└╜─│┴ ┬╘╝╩└╝
├╓┼│╛╬ ┴╣┴╝╞╜ ╝╫╤╫╠╞ ╔╝╝╖═├ ╗╞═├┌╟ ║╨╣┼╖╖ ╔╖╞╘╪╔ ║╫╚▐╓│ ╥╓┘╡╥┌ ├─╖┘║┤ ╟╛╙╜┴├ │┘╨╥╖╚ ╥├╪╡╨─ ┴╞╩┬╬╙ ┐╖╢╗╚╒ ╓─╧╓╨╡ ╔╒│╪┌╜ ├│╙╚╓╒ ╘╨╬╔├╦ ╝╢╫╤╩╡ ╥┼▌╡┤╣ ║┬╒╫╨║ ┐╝╠╖╒╞ ─╫┘╟╤╡ ▐║─╒╫╒ ═╒╠╩╫╣
╬╔╕┘╘╓ ┴╧┼│┼┘ ═┴╗┤┴╘ ╦╣▌╜╣╚ ╢╠╚╜╚╝ ╔╜┼╤└▌ ╪╦╦╤╬┬ ╚╢╛═╧╦ ┤╜╕═╙╧ ─╨╥╕╣┬ ╖▐╩╒┴╠ ╗┘┬╛╝┐ ╝╨╤┬└╪ ╡─┴┬┼╧ ┌╔═├╩╧ ┘╙┤╡╞╦ ╚┤║┬╙╢ ╥┘╬╣═╧ ▐┘▌┤┬╥ ╜╥╞╒╣├ ╠╖▌╪╥▐ └╤┐╡╬╜ ┤┬╛╡╦╚ ┴╜╣╨┐├ ╒╢╓┌▌─ ┐╬╟╙▌╠
┘╧║╧╥╝ ╡╞─╧╜╞ ╛╓╞╓╕╒ ╕┤╦┴┐╤ ╜╝▌╔┤╡ ╤╫╝╢║│ ╝╠└┴▌╤ ┼├═╒└║ ╗┼║║╝║ ╛╔╡╗╤┌ ┬╥╩╞╨║ ╥▌╬╨╕┐ ╙╤╖╫┬─ ╚┐│╓╔─ ╤─╜╨╠╞ ╧│┼┬╖╤ ╫╒╤╪╞┌ ─╩╖╪╞│ ║╤╗┐╘╒ ╚▐▌┼┴╛ ╕╚┘┘╒╨ ┌╚▐┴╥╗ ╬┘╔║╧└ ╒╪╢┤│═ ╠╕╝║╓╔ │╥─│╔╝
╧├├┘╦╚ ╟┌╠╒╟╙ ║╠│╫┐┴ ╓│╔═╩╧ ┘╬┐╞╔╘ ╝═╬║╧╦ ├╧▐╔╟├ ╘═╒├┘╩ ╦║┌┘▌╫ ┴▐═╪╜║ ╦═╩║┘┌ ╚╓╘▐▐╢ │└┌╛╠╥ ╪┼╓║┘╩ ╧╢╙╪┌╡ ╒═─┌╤═ ╓╪╠╠┴║ ╢╕╡┤╚╣ ╙┬═╟┤╘ ╧┬╠╦╣╙ ┘▐╤┬│╒ ╔╝╣┌╩▐ ╤│╟╤┘▐ ╘╣╚─╤╓ ┘╜╗▐│═ ▌║╝▐╔╕
├╨╟╗╙╤ ╡╙╚╜═╖ ▌╖╜╖╕╫ └▌╧┌┘╤ ╘╧┐╚▐╨ ╟╬╘┘╖╘ ┴╛┘╢╠┬ ╫║╝┌╜╗ ╫╔╙╬╡┤ ╟╛╡╥╙╕ ╣╖╠╦╒┘ ╫╨┴│┼─ ╦┐╠╩└▐ ╨╬╦┼╥─ ┬╒╜┼╓╤ ╨╥┬╡║╕ ╓╞╢▐├╬ ╘└╩╧╦┤ ╬├┘╢╣╟ ╞─╤┌╡▐ ╪╫╬┼╖─ ╞╒═╛╒╩ ╦╠╜╫▌╬ ││╣╫│╫ ┤╓╩╜╞╕ ╬╜┘╖┌│
╗┘┘▌╙╧ ╟╡╚─║┐ ╚┼╒├╨╓ ┼═╒╥╙╬ ▐╚╣╚│┐ ├┐╒╥╕╔ ╜╚╥╒╜╙ ╘╕╥╕╛┬ ╫╓╜╞╝╡ ╔╔├╙╗┐ ╓╡║┐╩╥ ╢└▌╡└╩ ╖╢├╟┬┤ ╦╪╥│╜╕ ═╒┐╖╥╙ ╗─▐╦┬╩ │╞╟╕╞▐ ┐╨┬╨╧╠ ═─╬┬╣╦ ╢╬│╦╠╡ ╠╤▌╘╟┴ ╫├╚▌║╨ ╒║┘╙▐╦ ╘╛╡┬╘┌ ┘╔╟├╠╘ ─┌╧╤╤└
┤╜╔┼║╩ ╓╠╘┐╤╧ ╞╒╡─│╫ ║╥╗╦╦╞ │┘┬╨└╚ ╡╛╝┬▌╘ ─╥╝┴├╣ ┬╘╧╦╒╜ ┬│╩╔┬┌ ┬╩│╕╔║ ╪╒╝┘╞╟ │╒╕╡╓╗ ╤╪╧┼╚╝ ┐╞╜╢╗▌ ┌╟╡╤╡╛ ╛┬┴╤▌╙ ╓└╒╛═╞ ─┤╕╚╛╤ ╒╨─┼▐═ ╥╡┼╫╪╫ ┌┐╓└╕║ ╛╙┤╙╥─ ╥╢┬┐╕╧ ▐╝▌╣│╘ ╡╙╙╟╕╓ ┘─║┘│╫
┌╡┴╕▌╩ ╕╧╩┐── ╘┼╖╔└╥ ╥└┘╬╔┼ ╟╢╘╩│┘ ╖╨╘╩╝╦ ┴╬╨╗┤╫ ╬╜╓╘╤╟ ╬╪╟╙╢╜ ┌║═╤╫│ ╤╛╝╘╦╡ ┼╖▐╜╗╤ ╛║╗╞╕║ ╤╓╬┴╢╗ └╬│╨╨╠ ╩┘╛╗╗┴ ┬╓╜╚▐╙ ╛╦╢│╕╘ ┐╦┼┘▐┼ └╓╘╔└│ ╖└╬┼╘═ ═└╥─╪╗ ═╛╝▐▐╠ ╖╔├╚╣┐ └╣═╪╨╦ ╩▌╞╘┐╟
┼╔╙▐┴╞ ┤┼┴╘╜╧ ╬╙╙╜╪└ ╥▌╪╜┴║ ╢═╔╠┘╚ ╖╛╩╔╓┼ ╛▐═╚┤┐ ╫╣▐┐╢╨ ┘╟╓─╓╥ ╪├╟═╫╪ ╗╝╨┬╥╜ ╗╢├╞╨─ ╞▐╫╕▌└ ╙╣╧╨╣┴ ╓╜┼┐╛┼ ┤▐▐└╞┌ └└╠└├├ ├╛┬┴▐╜ ╦├╪┐╡│ ─╘╙╨╨├ ╡│╒╛╢╓ ╒╖╣╢╥├ ╧╟╖╬╤╪ ╡─╟┐╡╫ │▌╙║┤╔ ┌▐├╦┴┐
┼╡╥┬└╢ ╔╦╒╧╣╧ └┌┤┴┌│ ╧┐╚└╖╕ ▐╓╫╕╚┬ ▌║┬╙╓▐ ╖╜╗╬╡╛ ╚╖┼╘├╓ ▐╚╧╨╠▌ ╫╩╙─┘╣ ╜╟╩├╨╬ ▌┐╩╙─┼ ┴├╧╗╔╡ ╥┴┘┤╪╕ ╧╬╚╡└╖ ╞┐┴╚├╬ ╖╬╪╧╖║ ┐▐╡╥╪┌ ╣╖─╝├═ ╥╔╪╧▐╙ ╧╝╗╫─╥ ┴╤╡╢╩╚ ╟┌╗┼╛╒ ╜╙├╘╚╙ ┴╬┤║┴╗ ╪╡┘┐├╥
╡─╚╤╫┼ ╫┐╖╜┌┴ ┴▐╘┐╖╒ ═┐┐┼╪╦ ╣╠╢╖╩╧ ╪╘╤┌┐├ ╜├┼│╨╥ ┴╤┼┌┴╣ ╟╤╕╢╘╟ ┐┘╗╞╣╓ ╖╗─╛╪┬ ╢┼╨╕├║ ═▌╫║╠╠ ╫┐╣╙└═ ╡╚╟┬╚╬ ╧▐╟┘╟╞ ┴╠╩╝┌═ ╗┼╩╡║╙ ╪║╛┘╨╝ ┤╖▌╨╕╙ ╞┌┤┬╪╜ ╡▐╪─╙╜ ╩╜╒╬╓▐ └╢├╧╘╝ ├╝▐╚╢╚ ▐╞╨╠╕╘
└╒╓╓▌╥ ╘╟┼▌╬╡ ╘╢┤╤├╔ ╓││╢╦┤ ╣╒╢│╘╝ ├┴╒╧┼╘ ┌╗┌─┌╖ ┤╣╝╨╦╔ ╒┴╖╧╠└ ╩╗╟└╡╞ ┴╣╘╜╤╡ ╞╞╔┘╗╧ ╟╬╘┐╚╩ ╒╣╕║╚╟ ┬┌╤└║╦ ╬▌║└└─ ┴─╙╕╕│ ╞┤╨▌╟╪ ╜╧└╩╧╛ ╗╟╚─│╥ ╬╨╗═├╦ ╞┼╛│╪╨ ▌╠▐┼╝╩ ╕╪╤╘═▐