Untitled (Progression)

Description

This work by the American artist Donald Judd consists of a long hollow aluminium bar which rests on aluminium blocks of different sizes. The bar is a matt grey, while the blocks are made of shiny aluminium. The blocks run from left to right, increasing in size in the ratio, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21. The spaces between the blocks go from right to left in the same ratio. Only the largest block is not reflected in an empty space on the other side of the bar.

'Untitled (Progression)' is one of a series of wall sculptures in which Judd revealed that sculptural space cannot exist without “empty space”. In his view positive and negative spaces are closely interrelated in order to create the structure of a sculpture. Space and sculpture are inextricably linked. However, it is not only the space within the sculpture that plays a role; the relationship between the work of art and its environment is also important. This aspect had a central place in Minimal Art, which includes Judd’s work. The ratio of the sizes of the blocks of aluminium in 'Untitled (Progression)' is based on the Fibonacci series. In this series every consecutive number is the sum of the two previous numbers.

Judd’s sculptures refer to nothing other than to themselves. He said: “My sculptures are reality itself and not an imitation of reality”. It is not the intention that the viewer starts to make associations or feels part of the sculpture. Judd wanted to state the facts. He abhorred any ambivalence or personal contribution. From 1964 he had his sculptures made industrially, opting for materials such as aluminium because it is an industrial material without a “meaningful” prior history. He created sculptures in which elements such as colour, volume, form, proportion, surface and material are clearly visible and do not change as a result of the context. The challenge for the viewer lies in analysing these aspects.

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