Donald Judd made works informally referred to as single stacks comprised of a rectangular prism measuring 6 x 27 x 24 inches. When properly installed at roughly eye level, the work projects from the wall at four times the height of the object itself. Simple in form, a single stack not only encloses the actual space lying within, but simultaneously activates the surrounding area: the wall upon which the object is placed or the entire room within which it is situated. In a note from February 21, 1993 Judd wrote “The smallest, simplest work creates space around it, since there is so much space within.”1
In 1985, this and another galvanized stack unit were restored by Judd’s studio at his direction and made into unique single stack works at the direction of the artist. Judd Foundation studio records note: “Restoration: replace top & bottom plexi in 2 single units from (sm.stack) unknown source. One is blue T&B; one is grey T&B.” These two restored works were assigned the same Purchase Order number, 85-21 A and B respectively, by the Judd studio.2
1 Donald Judd, “21 February 1993”, in Donald Judd Writings, ed. Flavin Judd and Caitlin Murray (New York: Judd Foundation and David Zwirner Books, 2016), 811.
2 Museum and Gallery Files, Judd Foundation Archives, Marfa, Texas.