Donald Judd is a painter, art critic, and sculptor. He is a figure of post-war art. Judd changed his art orientation from an abstract painter to a creator of three-dimensional work.
Untitled (1991) is a large installation of a colorful box that was created by Donald Judd. It consists of five columns and five rows in various colors. According to Judd, in his essay “Specific Object” (1964), the rectangle is not a boundary but a field. It is different, compares with the painting that considers the rectangle as a frame, border, and the end of the picture. For Judd, the rectangle is indispensable, it relates what inside and outside the line. The color, form, and surface are only possible within and on the rectangle. The composition inside the frame is closely related to the rectangle, even as an integral part of it.
Donald Judd. Untitled. 1991. (150x750x165 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Copyright of 2020 Judd Foundation/ Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York. https://www.moma.org/
Furthermore, color is also a vital element in Judd’s work. The color in three-dimensional work can make a space in its own way. Unlike diverse colors in oil painting that are used for creating an illusion of a three-dimensional object, Judd’s work does not need them because it has already three-dimensional in real space. Various solid colors connect every part of his work into a unity. The bright and cheerful color in Judd’s untitled also suggests vibrant vibes.
Donald Judd with Untitled (1961) in his architecture studio in Marfa, Texas, in 1993. PHOTO: © LAURA WILSON; DONALD JUDD ART © 2020 JUDD FOUNDATION / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK. https://www.galeriemagazine.com/
Judd’s artwork is remarkable because it challenges the old view on art that sees simple form and color as less beautiful. Judd has changed this obsolete perspective and really made us think out of the box through his work, the Untitled (1991).
Judd’s exhibition can be viewed on MoMA’s programme “Last Look”, on Sunday, Jan 10, 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gf6AHPKTgQ&feature=youtu.be