Donald Judd

The Cleaning and Repair of Donald Judd’s first concrete work, Untitled, 1971

Glass House Conversations, moderated by Flavin Judd, Donald Judd's son and one of the founding board members of Judd Foundation, served as a public forum to delve into philosophical and technical questions about the conservation of the sculpture, modern preservation and the legacy of the artist. Amanda Trienens, lead conservator on this Glass House preservation project, participated by answering your questions. Read this conversation or post your questions about this preservation project on the Glass House blog. Follow a slide-show of the work as it progresses below.

Between July and December 2011, the Philip Johnson Glass House cleaned and repaired Donald Judd’s first concrete work. One of the artist’s early site-specific topographic projects, the sculpture’s inside circumference is level, while the outside circumference runs parallel to the sloping ground plane, creating a beveled edge.

This project was precipitated by significant damage to the sculpture’s interior beveled edge in 2009 by a fallen tree limb. The damage compromises the artist’s intent and the interpretation of the sculpture. The repair will require cleaning the sculpture, analyzing the material composition of the concrete, matching new materials to the existing sculpture, and patching. This repair work also presented an opportunity to fill a large existing area of loss on the southern exterior wall, often referred to by staff as “the large crack.”

Conserving the sculpture will also enable the visitor to better understand the composition of the site as a whole. As the last element added to the site’s historic core, the sculpture completes the composition of “asymmetric sliding rectangles” and circles, that Johnson described in the first published article about the Glass House, “House at New Canaan, Connecticut,” Architectural Review, September 1950. Located at the base of the driveway and rounding the corner, Judd's sculpture directs visitors around it and toward the entrance of the Glass House, integral to Johnson's choreographed processional through the site.

This project is not a complete analysis of the sculpture or a complete restoration. Rather, it is a light treatment with as minimal intervention as possible, in order to preserve the sculpture’s original material and surface patina. Following the cleaning and repair of the sculpture, the Glass House will monitor the performance of the repairs. Should they under-perform or begin to show signs of failure, the Glass House would then consider embarking upon a more extensive, nondestructive structural evaluation, involving in-depth analysis such as a moisture infiltration survey, reinforcement mapping and wall assessment, in order to develop a comprehensive treatment plan.

It should be noted that there is a strong possibility that the appearance of the sculpture may dramatically change once cleaned. This will not be a result of “over-cleaning.” The nature of the soiling and its removal may result in a very light appearance.

Click here to download the site plan of Untitled, 1971.

Click here to download the plan and section of Untitled, 1971.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Born in Missouri in 1928, Donald Judd’s artwork and writings influenced contemporary art production from the late 1960s and 1970s until his death in 1994. Known for his “minimalist” artwork, Judd scoffed at such labels, the art market, and the New York art establishment of museums and galleries. In 1971, he retreated to Marfa, Texas, where he established a permanent residence and realized his singular vision, a private museum, the Chinati Foundation. The Chinati features a permanent exhibition of artwork carefully displayed in buildings and placed throughout the landscape.

Unlike Philip Johnson, Judd was not well-traveled or exposed to art and culture as a child. His first museum visit was as a teenager, and his first encounter with the American Southwest that he would later call home was as a young army conscript on his way to Korea via San Francisco. The bare landscape with its expansive and endless horizon strongly impressed him. He telegrammed his mother:

DEAR MOM VAN HORN TEXAS. 1260 POPULATION. NICE TOWN BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY
MOUNTAINS – LOVE DON 1946 DEC 17 PM 5 45

While in the army, Judd was assigned to an engineering unit where he learned to draft and survey land, skills that he would later employ in his artwork. After his military service, he studied at the College of William and Mary in Virginia before transferring to Columbia University. Judd majored in Philosophy (1953) and attended graduate school in Art History, studying with Meyer Schapiro and Rudolf Wittkower while at Columbia. He also attended studio art classes at the Arts Student League of New York.

Judd's interest in painting and Cubism slowly and progressively evolved to abstract, geometric works. He referred to his artwork, not as paintings or sculptures, but as “specific objects.” The large free-standing concrete sculpture at the Glass House is Judd’s first in an oeuvre that culminated in his masterwork, the fifteen free-standing concrete works at the Chinati Foundation. Judd was drawn to concrete for its “inherent unity,” which could give the impression a single, self-contained whole. Its economy and plasticity also attracted the artist to the material. Comprised of sand, rock aggregates and cement, concrete appealed to Judd’s love of the natural world and landscape. This was highlighted by concrete’s ability to capture the wood grain of the form-work from which a sculpture was shaped.

In later writings, Judd would cite the sculpture at the Glass House as a seminal work with the beveled edge subtly evoking the contrast between the ideal and the real, between the general and specific. An early collector of work by Donald Judd, Philip Johnson acquired his untitled sculpture directly from the artist in a trade for Frank Stella’s Gur II (1967), a large painting from Stella’s Protractor series.

Click here to read Donald Judd's official biography by the Judd Foundation.

INFORMATION GATHERING AND PRE-PLANNING

Following Johnson’s death in 2005, conservator Lynda Zycherman conducted a survey of all of the sculptures in the collection of the Glass House, bequeathed to the National Trust for Historic Preservation by Philip Johnson. At that time, she reported the condition of Judd’s sculpture as “Poor,” exhibiting “losses, spalling, surface wear at the top edge which exposes aggregate filling, calcareous accretions, color changes, and lichen.” Prior to the Glass House’s public opening in 2007, it was already evident that the sculpture would require conservation, however, little was known or documented about the piece or its construction.

Often perceived as solid and durable, concrete is actually a sensitive material. If not mixed and poured properly, it can be unsuspectingly fragile. A visual comparison of archival and recent photography reveals that the sculpture’s once relatively smooth and somewhat uniform surface has eroded, exposing aggregates within the concrete mixture. A result of natural material wear, this patina is acceptable and requires only cleaning to remove soiling and biological growth.

Of primary concern are the sculpture’s dark diagonal lines that rise from the ground up and across the vertical form-work imprints to the beveled edge that may either be a cold joint or lift line. These lines are visible on both the interior and exterior side walls. Lift lines are noncritical surface imperfections, whereas cold joints are weakened areas, allowing water penetration. Depending on the time between pours, the extent of water penetration varies. Internal moisture can subject the concrete to uneven expansions and contractions during the region’s annual freeze-thaw cycle. Internal moisture may also cause corrosion, if the concrete is reinforced with steel rebar or mesh. Furthermore, exposed rebar may draw moisture into the concrete.

According to Port Draper of the Louis E. Lee Company (the contractor of many of the structures on site at the Glass House), the sculpture required two truckloads of concrete. On the day of construction, the first truck arrived on schedule and poured its contents into the wood form-work. The second truck, unfortunately, got lost en route, and its delivery was postponed until the following day. By then, the first pour had already begun to cure. Although the sculpture appears to be a monolithic whole, the two pours may not have fully bonded together.

In addition to the flaws inherent to the material and its construction, the sculpture has suffered minor indignities. From 2005 to 2007, the sculpture’s center became overgrown with ferns and vegetation, obstructing the view of the shifting ground plane that is integral to the understanding of the work. The ferns were removed prior to public opening, and the area has been maintained without plantings since.

In 2008, the sculpture sustained minor damage, when a leaf mulcher skimmed the sculpture’s exterior surface during scheduled maintenance. Miraculously, this only removed accrued surface dirt, and the surface was not abraded. A light colored line remains from this run-in.

Finally in June 2009, a felled tree limb damaged the beveled edge, compromising the artist’s intent, requiring conservation.

To better understand the scope of work that would be required, test pits were dug on both the interior and exterior walls in three locations to examine the sculpture’s footing in 2009 and 2010. During the examination, exposed rebar was discovered at two of the six locations. The examination also revealed changes to the footing were made in the field during construction. While the footing does extend at least three inches from both the interior and exterior walls, it does not maintain its width. Instead, concrete was poured into a trench, resulting in a footing that tapers toward the bottom.

In April 2010, conservator and Judd specialist Francesca Esmay and structural engineer Nancy Hudson of Robert Silman Associates visited the site to assess the sculpture’s condition. A visual examination and basic sound test were conducted. It was observed that there were a set of cracks that ran from the interior wall to the exterior wall along the sculpture’s top surface. These cracks were relatively evenly spaced around the entire sculpture, seeming to indicate that the sculpture had settled evenly. The sound test also indicated that the concrete was stable. From these initial tests, the current scope of work was determined.

Project description by Irene Shum Allen, Curator and Collections Manager
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CONSERVATION TEAM

LEAD CONSERVATOR
Integrated Conservation Resources (ICR) / Integrated Conservation Contracting (ICC), New York
Founded in 1988, Integrated Conservation Resources and its sister company, Integrated Conservation Contracting are industry leaders in the analysis and preservation of historic structures. Staffed by professionally trained conservators, scientists, craftsmen, and project managers, ICR / ICC are guided by three principles:

1. To retain original materials where possible.
2. To develop and/or execute conservation programs that are physically and aesthetically compatible with the materials being addressed.
3. To respect the original aesthetic intentions of the designer and/or craftspeople.

Glenn Boornazian, President, ICR / ICC
Glenn Boornazian started Integrated Conservation Resources, Inc. (ICR) and Integrated Conservation Contracting, Inc, (ICC) in order to integrate investigative architectural conservation services with high-quality conservation and restoration contracting. As President of ICR and ICC, he has extensive knowledge of the conservation of building materials. His expertise includes specialized conditions investigation, materials testing, analysis and assessment, and the implementation of treatment recommendations. After studying at Columbia University's Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, Glenn served as Staff Conservator for the Center for Preservation Research at Columbia University, and Director of Restoration for the Nantucket Historical Association, Massachusetts. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University's Graduate Program in Historic Preservation.

Amanda Thomas Trienens, Conservator, ICR
Amanda Thomas Trienens joined ICR as an Architecture Conservator in 2004. She received her M.S. in Historic Preservation and an Advanced Certificate in Architectural Conservation from the University of Pennsylvania. Her work at ICR includes conditions assessments, material testing and treatment recommendations.

A notable, local example of ICR's recent work is the restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece and the Guggenheim Foundation’s flagship building, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

Click here to read about ICR / ICC’s concrete analysis of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, “Guggenheim Museum: Laboratory and Field Evaluation of Concrete Repair Products,” published in Concrete Repair Bulletin, September/October 2009.

CONSULTANT
Robert Silman Associates, New York
Founded in 1966, Robert Silman Associates (RSA) is a full service structural engineering firm, with a unique specialization in sustainability and historic preservation. RSA is an industry leader in emerging technologies and concepts, pioneering the use of Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques for existing and historic buildings. RSA and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have a long working history on preservation projects, and in 2005, RSA established the Robert Silman Fellowship in Preservation Engineering at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is awarded annually to a recent graduate in the fields of Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, and Historic Preservation.

Nancy R. Hudson, Associate
Nancy R. Hudson, P.E. joined Robert Silman Associates in 2005 and has over 15 years of professional experience in structural engineering. She is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) and the Association for Preservation Technology (APT). Nancy has a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Hudson worked on numerous renovation, stabilization and preservation projects. She was RSA’s Associate in charge of the exterior restoration of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in NYC.

OWNER’S REPRESENTATIVE
Francesca Esmay, Conservator, Object by Object, New York
Francesca Esmay is the Conservator for the Panza Collection Initiative, Guggenheim Foundation. From 2006 to 2010, she was the inaugural conservator at the Dia Art Foundation, where she initiated a comprehensive conservation and collections care program. From 2001 to 2006, Esmay worked in a similar capacity as the inaugural conservator to the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, where she initiated the conservation of 15 outdoor concrete sculptures by Donald Judd. Esmay received a Master of Science in architectural conservation from Columbia University and prior to her graduate studies, obtained extensive experience in the field of object conservation at the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, both in New York, and the Donald Judd Estate in Marfa, Texas. Founded in 2010, Object by Object is Esmay’s private practice.
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SCOPE OF WORK

SITE TESTING
ICR will conduct cleaning tests on-site to determine the most effective and compatible cleaner for the concrete. The tests will address the general soiling, biological growth, and orange staining on the sculpture. The result will determine cleaning methods and the composition of cleaning materials that will then be implemented to the entire sculpture.

PATCHING AND GROUT FORMULATION
ICR will analyze and replicate the concrete sample by the following methods:

1. Microscopy
Prior to, and after the gravimetric analysis, the sample and its components will be viewed under a stereo binocular microscope at 10x to 60x magnification.

2. Gravimetric Analysis
The sample will be analyzed via standard wet gravimetry to provide relevant compositional information (paste to aggregate ratios will only be provided by basic weight percentages). This process includes acid digestion which isolates aggregates for visual characterization.

3. Patch Replication
A replication mix will be developed that matches the existing concrete in color and texture. New sands used in the replication mix will closely match the sands liberated from the historic sample. The replication formula will be used during implementation and provided to the Client for future reference.

4. Grout Mix
A grout mix will be developed in order to fill the voids at the patch locations. The formula will be used during implementation and the provided to the Glass House for future reference.

IMPLEMENTATION
ICC and ICR will implement the following work on the Donald Judd sculpture. Protection in the form of tarps on the ground will be provided during implementation.

1. Cleaning
ICR-ICC will clean the sculpture with the materials and methods determined by ICR during site testing. The cleaning will address the general soiling, biological growth and orange staining.

2. Loss Repair
ICR-ICC will patch the three locations of loss on the sculpture. Two of the locations will require grouting as there are voids in those areas. The mix developed by ICR will be used for the patch locations and will be adjusted as necessary to match the surrounding concrete (the sculpture presents varying colors and textures due to weathering). The chip in the concrete resulting from the fallen tree limb will likely require a patination treatment as opposed to a patch repair. A well-adhered and sound patch would require cutting away more material than was lost which is not recommended.

3. Crack Filling
ICR-ICC believes that filling the cracks will provide longer term protection to the sculpture. There are approximately 70 linear feet of cracks (throughout a total of eight cracks) that vary in width from 0.3 mm to 1.6mm. These should, at a minimum, be treated by wiping crack filler into the cracks to provide some protection from water infiltration and, potentially, the reinforcing steel within the sculpture.

ADDITIONAL WORK
Delamination Removal and Patching
ICC and ICR will prepare the area of delamination by removal of the deteriorated concrete by hammer and chisel at the select location on the interior north side of the sculpture. If it is found that the loss is deeper than a couple inches, the void will be grouted. The repair will then take place, which will entail using a patch compound previously developed by ICR for a loss in the same general area as this delamination. A subsequent site visit will be made to etch the surface of the patch compound to expose the aggregate within the compound in order to improve the aesthetic. The work includes mobilization and demobilization.

Consolidant Application
After preparation of the surface, ICR will apply at least four applications of a hydroxylating
conversion treatment on the Untitled Donald Judd sculpture. Through tests conducted on the
sculpture it was determined that this work can help prevent some granular disintegration of the
concrete.

Water Repellent Application
ICR will apply two applications of H100 a water repellent by ProSoCo on the Untitled Donald
Judd sculpture.

STRUCTURAL CONSULTATION
Robert Silman Associates (RSA) will work with ICR on the structural aspects of the localized repairs. This includes recommendations on structural requirements of the patch material (strength) and evaluation of any corroded reinforcing exposed during the patch repairs. It is anticipated their involvement will be limited to one site visit to observe any corroded reinforcing exposed and one site for a meting, kick-off, or otherwise. There is no radar survey included in the structural scope. If it decided to pursue a radar survey, a proposal can be submitted, as provided by another consultant.

QUALITY CONTROL
Object by Object will act as the owner’s representative ensuring that the artist’s intent and aesthetic integrity are maintained. Object by Object will review and approve the cleaning mock ups, review and approve patch formulation, review and approve the loss patination and patch. This work will require two site visits.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The 2011 Cleaning and Repair of Donald Judd’s first outdoor concrete sculpture, Untitled (1971) was made possible in part by a 1:1 matching grant from the Historic Sites Fund. The Historic Sites Fund is endowed in part by grants from the National Park Service and the Gifts of Heritage Program. The Gifts of Heritage Program is a partnership between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Human Rights Campaign. This is the third consecutive grant award to the Philip Johnson Glass House for the conservation and care of its fine art collection.

The Philip Johnson Glass House is grateful to the conservation team for their expertise and flexibility, always maintaining the sculpture’s treatment as the project’s top priority. We would like to thank the staff of ICR/ICC: President Glenn Boornazian and Project Manager and Lead Conservator Amanda Thomas Trienens, Conservators Christy Lombardo, Jennifer Schork, and Natalie Karas, and Foreman and master mason Sonhanlal Ragoonanan; as well as Structural Engineer Nancy Hudson of Robert Silman Associates. We especially thank Conservator Francesca Esmay, who has provided guidance for the care of our Judd sculpture since 2007, prior to the site’s public opening. Recommended by both the Chinati and Judd Foundations, she has been invaluable to the organization of this project.

The Philip Johnson Glass House would also like to thank the Chinati Foundation and the Judd Foundation for sharing their insight and experience and for providing guidance and support throughout this project from initial planning to its completion. From 2007 to 2009, the Chinati Foundation extensively conserved its collection of 15 site-specific outdoor concrete sculptures. Conversations with Founding Director Marianne Stockebrand greatly informed and uniquely prepared the Glass House for our conservation project. Executive Director Barbara Hunt McLanahan and Project Manager and Development Officer Michele F. Saliola of the Judd Foundation provided information about the sculpture and recommendations for its care and conservation, since 2007. Moreover, input from the Judd Foundation’s Trustees Flavin Judd and Rainer Judd helped the Glass House to maintain the artistic integrity, answering questions that arose during conservation. The Judd Foundation also generously granted the Glass House permission to use images of the Artist’s work for this project.

As with many of conservation projects, additional work was recommended, when unknown conditions were discovered during treatment. The Philip Johnson Glass House extends deep gratitude to Edward and Catherine Romer for funding Phase IV, the consolidation of the entire sculpture The Romers’ generosity allowed the Glass House to treat the sculpture’s surface to protect against erosion and water infiltration. Highly recommended by Francesca Esmay and seconded by Amanda Trienens, this step strengthens the protective measures of patching and crack-filling, outlined in the original scope of work. The Glass House also extends its gratitude to Irene Mei Zhi Shum for funding the repair of the delaminated area on the interior north wall, where a thick mineral crust accrued and masked considerable water damage. Both of these gifts were matched by funds from the Glass House’s HSF award.

ABOUT
Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas
Opened to the public in 1986, the Chinati Foundation is a contemporary art museum based upon the ideas of its founder, Donald Judd. The specific intention of Chinati is to preserve and present to the public permanent large-scale installations by a limited number of artists. The emphasis is on works in which art and the surrounding landscape are inextricably linked. The Chinati Foundation sponsors art and education programs, establishing close links to the local community and other cultural institutions and universities in the United States and abroad.

Click here to read about Donald Judd’s concrete works and the Chinati Foundation’s extensive conservation of these works in their newsletter.

Judd Foundation, New York and Texas
The Judd Foundation was created in 1996 by Donald Judd’s last will and testament to maintain and preserve his permanently-installed living and working spaces, libraries and archives in Texas and New York. The Foundation is dedicated to promoting a wider understanding of and appreciation for Judd’s artistic legacy by facilitating public access to its resources, and by developing scholarly and educational programs.

Click here to learn about conservation guidelines for works by Donald Judd developed by the Judd Foundation.

If you would like to support the cleaning and repair of the Donald Judd sculpture or other programs of the Glass House with a tax deductible donation, please click here.