Judd Foundation

Donald Clarence Judd, b 1928- d 1994
101 Spring Street , New York, NY 10012 - view on Google Maps
212 219 2747
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“Too often, I believe, the meaning of a work of art is lost as a result of a thoughtless or unsuitable placement of the work for display. The installation of my own work, for example, as well as that of others, is contemporary with its creation, and the space surrounding the work is crucial to it. Frequently as much thought has gone into the placement of a piece as into the piece itself.”
—Donald Judd, 1993
From 1968 until his death in 1994, the sculptor Donald Judd used this 1870 cast-iron loft building as his home and studio. Here he had the opportunity to demonstrate his ideas about art installation. Judd’s use of the building is seen as part of the rise of the SoHo artistic community in New York City.

ABOUT

Donald Judd revolutionized practices and attitudes surrounding art-making and the exhibition of art, advocating for the permanent installation of works by artists in carefully considered environments. Judd achieved this goal first at his studio/residence at 101 Spring Street in New York, and later in various locations in and around Marfa, Texas.

Judd filled 101 Spring Street with nearly 2,000 objects (200 pieces of art and furniture, 1,800 household objects), from rare prototypes and seminal works to prosaic furnishings he used everyday. His collection spans centuries of art and design, and reflects his personal interest in art and well-made things: paintings, sculpture and works on paper by Jean Arp, Larry Bell, John Chamberlain, Honoré Daumier, Stuart Davis, Marcel Duchamp, Dan Flavin, David Novros, Claes Oldenburg, Ad Reinhardt, Lucas Samaras, Frank Stella, and H.C. Westermann; furniture, including pieces by Alvar Aalto, Gerrit Rietveld, and the Thonet firm; and ceremonial and decorative objects and textiles from Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America. Judd included his own artwork as well as furniture he designed.

After 1972 Judd spent some of his time in Marfa, Texas, but he continued to use 101 Spring Street as a live/work studio until his death in 1994.

Did you know...?

Donald Judd’s reputation as a gracious host and connoisseur of food and drink is reflected in the collection at 101 Spring Street. A Russian samovar, Baccarat glasses, an industrial meat-slicer, and a kitchen full of specialty cooking and tableware reflect the social gatherings that were a large part of life at 101 Spring Street.

SPECIAL RESOURCES

The Judd Foundation owns and operates 101 Spring Street and Judd’s properties in Marfa, Texas.

The Judd Foundation Archives, as the repository for the Donald Judd Papers, is the premier center for the study of the life and work of Donald Judd, containing the primary holdings of the artist, his studio, and key collaborators. The use, accomplishments, and significance to the humanities of the Judd Foundation Archives are evidenced through their impact on exhibitions, scholarship, and programs. The papers span the years 1945-1994, with the bulk of the archive dating from the period 1960-1994.

The archive includes correspondence, fabrication records, artist files, photographs, published and unpublished essays, interviews, and ephemera that shed light on Judd and more than 40 contemporary artists, including exhibitions and collaborations with an international group of museums and institutions from the 1950s-1990s.

Sections from the archive that are currently available for research include:

  • Museum and Gallery Files
  • Exhibition
  • Records
  • Drawings and Notes
  • Photographs
  • Publications  

Access to the Judd Foundation’s Archives is granted on a case-by-case basis. Please submit all research inquiries by email or post to archives@juddfoundation.org. On-site research is by appointment only.

WHAT TO DO HERE

  • Guided visits
  • Public programs

YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE ART HERE:

  • Judd-designed installations of art, including numerous examples of his own work, are open to the public in Marfa, Texas.
  • In the town, Judd established studio spaces, as well as a compound containing his home and library.
  • In a decommissioned military base outside of town, Judd established the Chinati Foundation for large-scale art installations.
  • After his death, these properties became the Judd Foundation.
  • For further information see:
  • www.juddfoundation.org/visit_marfa
  • www.chinati.org