Donald Judd at Tate Modern
I think one of the more interesting artistic phenomena of the Twentieth Century was the move by many artists away from the valorising of the artist’s touch and of craft. This was started by Duchamp with his readymades, but I think the first artist to move towards specifying art but having his work actually produced by technicians was Donald Judd, and there is a fantastic exhibition of his work on now at Tate Modern in London.
It’s interestingly partnered with a Brancusi show. He’s one of my absolute favourites, but if you’re a fan you won’t see much that you haven’t seen before. Still, going from his sleek bronze birds to Judd’s boxes and stacks feels like an important movement in Modern art. Judd’s work is a keystone of minimalism, much as he didn’t like the term, and it is pleasing to see plenty of people at a show of this vilified style. Perhaps it’s because Judd’s simple objects are lovely to look at, with their coloured plexiglass and painted aluminium being genuinely beautiful. I was an admirer already, but this terrific show, with lots of great pieces and surprising variety (it includes a couple of early paintings and transitional works), really excited me. If you’re undecided about minimalist art, do give this a try.