Richard Shiff. Sensuous Thoughts

What happens when you not only observe one of the most famous artists of our time, but do so in the company of one of the best art historians, as well? You get an unusual publication, the reading of which opens the eyes in the truest sense of the phrase. In this book the American art historian Richard Shiff—with his gaze schooled in phenomenology and his sense of detail—joins readers for a look at the exceptional art of Donald Judd. These essays open up a multi-layered, sumptuous panorama of the American artist’s oeuvre. Without drawing attention to themselves, the essays completely aid in the perception of Judd’s art. Shiff’s rich framework allows it to shine brightly in constantly new, yet unique ways.

RICHARD SHIFF (*1943) studied at Harvard, where he wrote his dissertation on Impressionism. He achieved fame primarily through his analysis of Cézanne’s work, based on the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty. He is a professor of art history at the University of Texas.

DONALD JUDD (1928–1994) studied art history and philosophy and made himself a name as an art critic before becoming a world-famous artist in his own right. With the clear formal vocabulary of his visual work and the conception of his art museum, the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, Judd is counted among the major representatives of Minimalism.