SFMOMA celebrates the beauty in simplicity with 'donald judd: specific furniture' exhibition

SFMOMA (san francisco museum of modern art) examines the practice of  american artist donald judd (1928–1994) in newly opened show ‘donald judd: specific furniture.’ titled after a 1964 essay, in which judd celebrates a new kind of three-dimensional artwork, freed from the traditional rules of painting and sculpture, the exhibition presents the artist’s work alongside a selection of key objects that he collected from the likes of alvar aalto, ludwig mies van der rohe, and gerrit rietveld among others. photographs of spaces in which judd lived and worked are also part of the show, including the judd foundation in new york, which designboom visited recently.

installation view
photo by katherine du tiel

with influential work in art, design, and architecture, demonstrating his philosophy of form and utility, donald judd is considered one of the key figures of twentieth-century art. from tables and desks to chairs and beds, his designs emerged as a response to the lack of good, basic furniture he identified at the time. besides his roles as an artist, a designer, and a writer, judd was also a collector of furniture that embodied a material presence or clear intention. ‘specific furniture’ at SFMOMA reflects a holistic, comprehensive approach of the artist’s practice, combining his refined and nuanced artworks with other objects he chose to surround himself with. 

donald judd: specific furniture is on at SFMOMA from 14 july to 4 november, 2018.

installation view
photo by katherine du tiel

(also header image) newly fabricated donald judd furniture for visitor use outside the exhibition, 2018 (installation view, SFMOMA)
photo by katherine du tiel

donald judd, armchair, designed 1984, fabricated 1998; san francisco museum of modern art, gift of byron r. meyer
photo by katherine du tiel

architecture studio, judd foundation, marfa, texas
photo by matthew millman, © judd foundation

architecture studio, judd foundation, marfa, texas
photo by matthew millman, © judd foundation

4th floor, 101 spring street, judd foundation, new york
photo by matthew millman, © judd foundation

5th floor, 101 spring street, judd foundation, new york
photo by matthew millman, © judd foundation

library, 3rd floor, 101 spring street, judd foundation, new york
photo by matthew millman, © judd foundation

architecture office, judd foundation, marfa, texas
photo by matthew millman, © judd foundation

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 by franziska & bruno mancia