donald judd

It's been about a year since our trip to Marfa, and so I thought it fitting to post some Donald Judd today. Here are some notes I wrote down while doing the Block tour of his studios and residence (which I highly recommend): Judd's signature adobe brick walls are beautiful, showing signs of decay and patina over the years. His very linear-style furniture is scattered throughout the courtyard and inside the studios, and we enter into his library which houses an incredible collection of more than 12,000 books. Everything seems completely random and yet intensely thought out. The guide tells us that he organized his books according to subject matter, and within that, birthdate of author. There's clearly a method to his madness, and it's interesting to see someone with such an obsession for order and detail and precision, to be completely visionary in his works. His pieces are staggered within the large open spaces, and even the placement of the art has been carefully planned, with just the right amount of negative space around them to let the pieces breathe and be appreciated for their bold colors, unique materials and craftsmanship. We peek through windows at his residence at a central open staircase is a modernist's dream and a parent's worst nightmare. The children's rooms look cold and austere and I can only imagine the dramatic fallout if his teenage son ever dared to hang a pink floyd poster on the wall. ha! what is it about madness and genius that usually go hand in hand?