Judd had occasionally used diagonal
dividers within his works since the early 1960s, but it was not
until the late 1970s that he began to explore their potential in
a comprehensive manner. This simple device enabled him to dynamically
modulate space within an open-fronted unit, initially in plywood
and later in metal. Untitled (1982) consists of three units,
each divided in a different way. The aluminium frame is backed by
purple Plexiglas, creating subtle light and colour effects within
each unit.
These ideas were developed further in Untitled
(1986), an ambitious wall-piece. Each plywood box is identically-sized
with a coloured Plexiglas rear-wall that is revealed or concealed
by the dividers. The patterns vary, depending on the position of
the viewer, so that walking across the front of the work reveals
an ever-changing panorama of colours. Each unit is different. Judd
had calculated all the possible variations that could be created
by combining dividers, before selecting 63 for fabrication, of which
30 were eventually completed.
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