Looking for Empty Land

Donald Judd (1928–1994) was an American artist known for reductive forms and a strident rejection of imposed meanings. Though largely absent from art historical accounts of his life, Judd had a varied and complex relationship with Iceland, which started with his childhood fascination with the Icelandic sagas. After his first trip to the island in 1981, he returned to create an exhibition in Reykjavik and, through his visits, became familiar with a number of Icelandic artists. Judd developed a strong interest in Iceland’s vernacular architecture and his connection to the country touched on many areas of his creative thought: writing, architecture, landscape, art and politics. Accounts of Judd’s relationship to Iceland have persisted predominantly as an oral history among those who knew him on the island. Looking for Empty Land presents, for the first time, comprehensive research into Judd’s involvement with Iceland – developed through interviews with friends, former assistants, family and personal acquaintances as well as original archive research in Iceland and Marfa, Texas. The publication explores Judd’s appreciation of the interconnections seen in Iceland between literature, landscape and architecture, providing a lens through which to reappraise his activities in Marfa, which similarly brought together concerns of building and place.