Donald Judd Quotes

Powerful Donald Judd for Daily Growth

About Donald Judd

Donald Judd (1928-1994) was an influential American sculptor, minimalist artist, and writer who significantly impacted contemporary art through his pioneering concepts of space, material, and form. Born on June 30, 1928, in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Judd spent his early years in Virginia before moving to New York City after World War II. Inspired by the abstract expressionism movement, Judd initially pursued a career as an art critic for venues like 'Art News' and 'Tulane Drama Review.' However, he became disenchanted with the movement's focus on emotional excess and began to develop his own minimalist aesthetic. Judd's work gained recognition in the late 1950s when he started exhibiting paintings that featured simple forms and bold colors. The artist's minimalist approach evolved during the 1960s, leading him to create three-dimensional works such as 'Stack (1965),' a series of wood cubes stacked atop one another. In 1973, Judd purchased a former army base in Marfa, Texas, where he established a permanent residence and art foundation, transforming the small town into an essential destination for minimalist art. Key works from this period include 'Untitled (1970-72)'—a series of concrete and metal structures that fill a space to its maximum capacity—and '15 Untitled Works in Concrete' (1980-84). Donald Judd's minimalist philosophy emphasized the importance of space, material, and form, and his influence on subsequent generations of artists continues to be profound. His innovative approach to artmaking transcends traditional boundaries, merging sculpture, architecture, and design into immersive spatial experiences that continue to captivate audiences today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Ideally space is not modified."

Donald Judd's quote, "Ideally space is not modified," signifies his belief in minimalism and the importance of maintaining the inherent properties and characteristics of a given space, rather than altering it dramatically or cluttering it with unnecessary elements. He advocates for art that interacts harmoniously with its surroundings, allowing the original qualities of the space to remain intact, emphasizing simplicity, function, and clarity in both architecture and art.

"The specific object becomes art as soon as it stands."

Donald Judd's quote emphasizes that an object transforms into art once it is isolated from its original context or function, and stands alone as a self-contained entity. The intentionality of its placement, design, and aesthetics become crucial in defining it as art, rather than just a simple object.

"It's a very simple thing to make boxes. And they have to be perfect."

This quote by Donald Judd highlights his emphasis on simplicity and perfection in his art, specifically his work that consists of geometric forms such as boxes. For him, the act of creating these basic structures is not a trivial task, but one that requires meticulous attention to detail for the sake of aesthetic purity. The pursuit of perfection in artistic creation reflects Judd's belief that form should be functionally and visually harmonious, without unnecessary complexity or distractions. In this way, he challenges artists to pay close attention to their craftsmanship and uphold high standards in their work.

"Art should be able to accommodate the full spectrum of human emotion, from the deepest and most devastating pathos to the highest and most intense pleasure."

Donald Judd's quote emphasizes the power of art as a medium that can encompass all aspects of human emotion, from profound sadness to exuberant joy. It suggests that art should not be limited in its ability to reflect the complexities and nuances of human experiences, including the deepest emotions we harbor. By doing so, it connects people on a universal level, fostering empathy, understanding, and shared human experiences.

"The art object in a space is a construct of artificial unification. The space around it is architectural or environmental; it may have characteristics that are related to the art object but it is not art."

This quote by Donald Judd suggests that an artwork exists independently within a defined space, and the surrounding environment - whether architectural or natural - is separate from the art itself. He implies that while the space may share characteristics with the art object, it is not part of the artwork's artistic expression; rather, it serves as a context that allows us to perceive and appreciate the art object as a unique entity.

You're only dealing with whatever you know, which is a very small part of it and later on it'll look like it has something to do with the period. Obviously, the artists have something to do with one another. They tend to set up certain common qualities among themselves.

- Donald Judd

Small, Part, Very, Small Part

And that Newman wasn't, and yet to me Pollock is just as radical and unlike Expressionism as Newman.

- Donald Judd

Radical, Newman, Unlike, Expressionism

But I think that's a particular kind of experience involving a certain immediacy between you and the canvass, you and the particular kind of experience of that particular moment.

- Donald Judd

Think, Kind, I Think, Immediacy

Well, I don't think anyone now would say that they're painting the state of the culture of America. I think that's too grand and pompous a thing for anybody to claim.

- Donald Judd

Think, I Think, Anybody, Claim

The attitude and capacity of the factory, the old metal table and the new ideas of the wooden furniture quickly and naturally suggested the possibility of metal furniture.

- Donald Judd

New, Old, Factory, New Ideas

Stuart Davis has more to do with what the United States is like than Hopper.

- Donald Judd

United, Like, United States, Stuart

The older painting - well, it does have an effect all at once, I suppose, but it's of a lesser intensity than a lot of the American work in the last ten or fifteen years.

- Donald Judd

Work, Fifteen, Last, Lesser

I think some of the things I deal with Hopper probably has dealt with also, since it's somewhat the same environment and I have pretty strong reactions to what this country looks like. It looks pretty dull and spare, and you like this and dislike it and it's very complicated.

- Donald Judd

Country, Some, Very, Reactions

Usually when someone says a thing is too simple, they're saying that certain familiar things aren't there, and they're seeing a couple maybe that are left, which they count as a couple, that's all.

- Donald Judd

Maybe, Couple, Which, Familiar Things

Tolstoy may not be showing that much of Russia at that time even. It's hard to tell. You tend to associate the quality of the period with what's lasted - what's still good. And that quality becomes the whole period.

- Donald Judd

May, Still, Period, Tolstoy

I don't think geometric art is... I don't like to call it that. I don't think it's any more pure than pop art or anything else. It doesn't have anything to do with purity.

- Donald Judd

Art, Think, Like, Pop Art

There's probably more in the American tradition than people give the place credit for.

- Donald Judd

Give, More, Than, American Tradition

Pollock looks unusual and radical even now.

- Donald Judd

Looks, Radical, Even, Unusual

Well, I am not interested in the kind of expression that you have when you paint a painting with brush strokes. It's all right, but it's already done and I want to do something new.

- Donald Judd

New, Brush, Strokes, Not Interested

But I think you have to - whatever the environment looks like, it does enter into people's art work one way or another; it's very remote or it isn't. It's remote in my work but it has to have a certain degree of ordinariness.

- Donald Judd

I Think, Another, Very, Ordinariness

And then we moved to New Jersey and I went to the Art Students League.

- Donald Judd

Art, New, Moved, Jersey

I haven't sufficient interest in objects or anything I can see around me to do what Oldenburg does.

- Donald Judd

See, Interest, Does, Sufficient

Well, I think there are artists who are more or less contemporary with Hopper who are more relevant.

- Donald Judd

Think, More, I Think, Contemporary

Building is just skilled labor, I suppose. It's a lot of work. I don't mind other people building them, but the way things go together and are made is interesting to me; I like that a lot.

- Donald Judd

Mind, Other, Like, Labor

Well, there's a morality in that you want your work to be good, I suppose.

- Donald Judd

Work, Want, Morality, Suppose

I recognize very much in Hopper that it does look like the United States; it looks like the 30's and my first impressions of everything, all of which I have to deal with and which gets mixed up in my work and probably gets mixed up in everybody else's work too.

- Donald Judd

Deal, Everybody, Very, Gets

Most art is fragile and some should be placed and never moved away.

- Donald Judd

Art, Some, Most, Fragile

I think most of the art now is involved with a denial of any kind of absolute morality, or general morality.

- Donald Judd

Art, Think, Denial, Involved

I pay a lot of attention to how things are done and the whole activity of building something is interesting.

- Donald Judd

Interesting, Activity, Pay, Attention

I think most of the best new work is intended to have much more impact at once.

- Donald Judd

Think, New, Most, Impact

After all, the work isn't the point; the piece is.

- Donald Judd

Work, Piece, After, Point

Well, in any art there are a lot of technical things that you can get to like.

- Donald Judd

Art, Technical, Lot, Technical Things

They certainly aren't connected with the old geometric art. My work isn't geometric in that sense.

- Donald Judd

Art, Old, Certainly, Connected

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