One of the most influential artists of the post-war period, Donald Judd (1928–1994) radically transformed notions of the ‘visible’, developing a rigorous visual vocabulary that emphasises simple, mathematical proportions and openness of form. The artist first came to public attention in the mid-1960s for his distinctive use of industrial materials – including galvanized iron, aluminium and plexiglass – in rigorously geometric constructions, which sought to emphasise the purity of materials. Judd, who also studied philosophy at Columbia University while training at the Arts Student League, was deeply concerned with the fundamental ways in which we experience not only sculpture but, ultimately, the world around us.

The exhibition DONALD JUDD at Thaddaeus Ropac Salzburg will include works from the early 1990s. During this time Judd returned to the principles which had defined his artistic vision. He sought to create an art form with no further symbolic meaning, or grand philosophical narratives, letting the work speak for itself.