Donald Judd: Variations on a Theme

Variations on a Theme showcases Untitled, 1977–78, 16 etchings by Judd from the Museum’s permanent collection. 

Consistent with his three-dimensional constructions, called “Specific Objects,” by Judd, these prints are a series with slight variations; they incorporate clean, precise geometric forms; and, important for Judd, they are not made by the hand of the artist. Judd’s father Roy was trained as a print-maker and produced many of the artist’s prints. 

This series demonstrates the variety possible under certain scrupulous parameters. Different angles and varied relationships between lines change our perceptual understanding of each print. Judd wanted his art to be self-evident—what you see is what you see. Refusing to align the diagonal angles of these prints, for example, he highlights specific qualities of the medium itself: graphic, two-dimensional, and not illusionistic.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.       

Donald Judd, Untitled, 1977-78; Etching. Gift of Mr. A. Charles Miller, 81.2.1K © 2018 Judd Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York