Specific Objects

article by Judd

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July 19, 2026

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Donald Judd, a key figure in Minimalism, wrote the influential essay "Specific Objects" in 1965. This essay outlined the Minimalist philosophy, emphasizing the direct, physical experience of art objects over symbolic representation. Judd's own sculptures, often based on the box form, utilized industrial materials and precise fabrication to create non-representational works. He aimed to remove any association with the handmade, focusing on the object's inherent qualities. Judd's work, along with that of other Minimalists, sought to strip away personal expression to reveal the objective, visual elements of art.12

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Donald Judd
…texts of the movement, “Specific Objects” (1965). The article laid out the Minimalist platform of stressing the physical, phenomenological experience of objects rather than representing any metaphysical or metaphoric symbolism. Judd’s sculpture was based almost exclusively on the box form—either alone or in series of modules, on the wall…
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…texts of the movement, “Specific Objects” (1965). The article laid out the Minimalist platform of stressing the physical, phenomenological experience of objects rather than representing any metaphysical or metaphoric symbolism. Judd’s sculpture was based almost exclusively on the box form—either alone or in series of modules, on the wall…
Read More