Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Inside The Sensational New Donald Judd Retrospective At MoMA
By
Scott Lynch
Published Mar 2, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 19
By
Scott Lynch
Published Mar 2, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Donald Judd, the minimalist sculptor who refused to use either of those words to describe himself or his art, worked for more than 30 years in New York City, creating an astonishing array of his primary obsessions, what he called "boxes," "stacks," and "progressions." And although frequent gallery-goers might feel like they've seen plenty of Judd's works over the years this sensational new exhibition at MoMA, open now and running into July, is the artist's first US retrospective in decades.
Judd's pieces can seem a bit mundane when viewed in a vacuum, but MoMA's curatorial team has done a great job of packing the museum's sixth floor with a tremendous variety of shapes, colors, and forms, while still giving each piece enough space to stand on its own. I spent a couple of hours in these galleries on Saturday, and was surprised by how much of the work felt fresh and vital, allowing me to appreciate the artist's work in new ways.
Judd used harsh, unromantic materials like plywood, aluminum, concrete, and plexiglass, and throughout most of his career delegated the actual production of his pieces to local metal shops.
As for sourcing materials — "I spent a lot of time looking around," he once said. "I'd see a nice piece of aluminum tubing or a strip of plastic on Canal Street and I'd buy it."
Starting in the late 1960s, and until his death in 1994, Judd's primary home and work space was a five-story cast iron building on the corner of Spring and Mercer Streets, which remains open to visitors today.
The MoMA exhibition also displays several of Judd's early paintings, which were often given dimension through found objects. And in the final gallery, you'll be hit with the bright colors of his later work.
Judd also designed furniture, several examples of which have been placed in the gift shop near the entrance, including a cushioned daybed.
The daybed
The Donald Judd retrospective at MoMA is open through July 11th on the museum's sixth floor.
Tagged
moma
donald judd
art
Scott Lynch
Photojournalist, food writer, preschool receptionist. Love NYC.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .