National Galleries of Scotland

Donald Judd (American, 1928 - 1994)

Judd was born in Missouri in the USA. He was a painter prior to becoming a sculptor and was also a noted art critic. In 1963 Judd made his first fully three-dimensional works, initially from wood. He preferred to use industrial materials, such as aluminium and Plexiglas, as they could be cut and used precisely. Rejecting expression, description, symbol and metaphor, Judd aimed to reduce sculpture to its most basic constituents and make work that was exactly what it was, and nothing more. Although associated with the minimalist movement, Judd disliked the label, describing his work as 'the simple expression of complex thought'.