Logic up to a Certain Point: Donald Judd’s Something Else in Marfa

Debates surrounding American artist Donald Judd, and minimalism in general, trend toward discussions of meaning or lack thereof in art. Judd’s artwork broke conventions and reinvented the way art was created and understood in the 20st century. The Chinati Foundation, Judd’s permanent installation in Marfa, Texas revolutionized the way people consumed art by inextricably connecting the art, land, and architecture. Judd’s art has long since garnered critical attention for its autonomy, structural form, its sense of wholeness, the sensory feelings it evokes, and the space it creates. However, Judd’s work has not yet been analyzed in terms of its religiosity or lack thereof. This thesis sets out to define the oeuvre of Donald Judd through his unique, rule-breaking style and his devotion to the context and preservation of his art. Finally, this thesis concludes that Judd’s work at Chinati is the purest form of spiritual artwork because of its rejection of human culture and its connection to the land around it.