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Exhibition

Donald Judd

Specific Furniture
July 14–November 4, 2018
Floor 6

Widely considered one of the most important American artists of the twentieth century, Donald Judd transformed the art world with his work in art, design, and architecture. This exhibition looks beyond Judd’s work in sculpture, which he called “specific objects,” to examine his furniture design as its own practice, independent from his artworks. Judd’s designs emerged out of a need for functional, simple, and agreeable furniture and were developed in response to what he saw as an absence of good and available pieces. In addition to his roles as artist, designer, and critic, Judd was also a collector of furniture designs by Alvar Aalto, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gerrit Rietveld, and Rudolph Schindler, among others. This presentation brings together Judd’s furniture designs with works that he owned and drew inspiration from, as well as a selection of Judd pieces that visitors can use outside the gallery.


Exhibition Preview

Donald Judd arm chair
white and bright hallway with several door frames
wooden furniture in corner of room with large window
Donald Judd sketches for a desk
Donald Judd drawings for building a desk
black and white photograph of man standing in room next to chairs - HIGH RES

Donald Judd, Armchair, designed 1984, fabricated 1998; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, gift of Byron R. Meyer; photo: Katherine Du Tiel

Architecture Studio, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas; © Judd Foundation; image: Elizabeth Felicella/Esto

Library, 3rd Floor, 101 Spring Street, Judd Foundation, New York; © Judd Foundation; image: Mauricio Alejo

Donald Judd, drawing for birch plywood desks, 27 April 1990; pencil on paper; 8 1/4 x 11 9/16 in. (21 x 29.5 cm); © Judd Foundation

Donald Judd, drawing for a birch plywood standing writing desk, 27 August 1990; pencil on paper; 8 1/4 x 11 9/16 in. (21 x 29.5 cm); © Judd Foundation

Donald Judd at Eichholteren, 1990; courtesy Judd Foundation; © FBM Studio; image: Franziska & Bruno Mancia

View a printable PDF of the gallery guide.

Support for Donald Judd: Specific Furniture is provided by Dudley and Michael Del Balso.

Header image: Donald Judd at Eichholteren, 1990 (detail); courtesy Judd Foundation; © FBM Studio; image: Franziska & Bruno Mancia