Donald Judd untitled, 1977

Donald Judd’s 1977 plywood wall-mounted box is part of a group of works also referred to as Meter Boxes for their specific 100 x 50 x 50 cm measurements. The box incorporates a surprising diagonal panel, which conveys a sense of movement and depth – diagonals are a recurring element in Judd’s formal language across his oeuvre. Opposed to the idea that an unpainted wood surface should be seen as unfinished, he chooses instead to accent its natural colour, allowing the moiré pattern of the plywood to lend the work its tactile richness. ‘I don’t like plain plywood or plain concrete to be considered without colour,’ Judd states, ‘so to me they are coloured.’