Donald Judd

As creator of the serial box, Judd (1928–1994) was perhaps the key figure in Minimal Art—a label he cantankerously rejected, though it certainly fit his oeuvre. By his own formulation, his work rejected anything that smacked of figurative, representational or associative meaning. Like many formalists before him, Judd broke down his art to its constituent elements of color and form, though in a uniquely American manner that merged Puritanism with industrial production. Judd's claims about the austerity of his pieces were often belied by their designerly beauty. This show reunites pieces from a 1989 exhibition in Baden-Baden, Germany, featuring large, open-box forms; built of anodized aluminum, they were placed directly on the floor. This arrangement permitted easy viewing into the objects' interiors, which in some cases were lacquered a seductive shade of blue.