Art Hag

David Zwirner currently has on view nine of the twelve works from Donald Judd's seminal 1989 exhibition at Germany's Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden. On view are large, open-top boxes measuring 39 3/8" x 78 3/4" x 78 3/4" made of anodized aluminum. These works were Judd's first use of "colored anodized aluminum in such a large, floor-mounted format" (from the show's press release).

While the sculptures' exteriors look identical in muted silver, inside viewers see that Judd inserted panes of Plexiglas in varying rich, glossy shades. The plexi sheets either lie flat at the bottom of the boxes or serve as vertical dividers, subtly reflecting their intense colors against the neutral grey of the box walls. Although Judd had worked with the "open box form" before, these works "display a distinct systematic approach in determining the interior space of each box, which Judd divided vertically in different spatial configurations, sometimes introducing color through the use of anodized elements or sheets of Plexiglas... The combinations of materials, dividers, and colors—which differ from box to box—thus determine the singular nature of each work within a finite number of variable possibilities; each of the boxes being an individual work that represents one possibility out of the given parameters."

Judd's sleek, Minimalist sculptures examine color, form, material, and space. Viewed together, the works "present a particularly unified experience of composition and space" that allow "for their unique spatial arrangements and colors to be apprehended by the viewer as a whole, while also emphasizing their relationship to the surrounding architectural environment."

David Zwirner, who recently announced exclusive representation of the Judd Foundation, will present special film screenings at the gallery on June 25th, the last day of the exhibition. The films include: Michael Blackwood's The Artist's Studio: Donald Judd featuring a 1972 interview with art historian Barbara Rose and Judd at his 101 Spring Street home and studio as well as footage from 1975 of the artist and his family at their Marfa, Texas home; and Marfa Voices an intimate documentary short by Judd's daughter Rainer. Read more about the films at artdaily.org and learn more about the exhibit at Davidzwirner.com. Through June 25th.

Installation view