FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Donald Judd: The Writing of ‘Specific Objects’, 1965
May 3 – September 30, 2008
By appointment

Opening Friday, May 2, 2008 6-8PM
Judd Foundation
104 South Highland Avenue, Marfa, Texas

 

Judd Foundation is pleased to present the exhibition, Donald Judd: The Writing of ‘Specific Objects’ 1965, on view May 3 – September 30, 2008 at Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas.

Drawn from Donald Judd’s personal archive, held by Judd Foundation, the exhibition will present comprehensive handwritten notes and drafts of this seminal piece by Judd in the first public presentation of this material. First published in Arts Yearbook in 1965, “Specific Objects” is known as a groundbreaking piece of art criticism, which helped to shape discussions of American art of the 1960’s. It remains one of Judd’s most influential essays. In this text, Judd begins to draw comparisons between artists such as Dan Flavin, John Chamberlain, Lee Bontecou, and others whose work he championed, emphasizing the connections between each of their works and contrasting it to other contemporaries in the field of painting and sculpture.

As artist Jeff Wall remarked, “essays such as ‘Specific Objects’ had the impact, almost, of literary works of art.” *

Offering a unique insight to Judd’s rigorous thought processes and working methods as a writer, the exhibition will present historic ephemera related to the writing and publication of the essay, along with Judd’s handwritten drafts.

This exhibition is organized as part of Judd Foundation’s participation in “The Writings of Donald Judd”, a symposium organized by Chinati Foundation on May 3 & 4, 2008 in Marfa, Texas.

*Jeff Wall, Selected Essays and Interviews, MoMA, New York, 2007, p.153.

Judd Foundation was created in 1996 by the last will and testament of artist Donald Judd. Its mission is to maintain and preserve Judd’s permanently installed living and working spaces, libraries, and archives in New York and Marfa, Texas. The Foundation aims to promote a wider understanding of and appreciation for Judd’s artistic legacy by facilitating public access to these spaces and resources, and by developing scholarly and educational programs. The Judd Foundation collection comprises 16 properties in New York and Texas, which include the artist’s homes and studios in Marfa, Texas, three ranches in the Chinati mountain range near Marfa, and 101 Spring Street, a historic cast-iron building in New York City. Judd Foundation also holds and preserves the artist’s archives on his work and exhibition history, including his writings, correspondence, and historical documents pertaining to his relationship with other artists and art institutions. One of the most influential American artists of the postwar period, Judd changed the course of modern sculpture and advocated for the permanent installation of works by artists in carefully selected environments.

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