Donald Judd’s engraving fingerprints, which caused “permanent” and “irreversible” damage, has already paid out $680,000 in insurance claims, according to the lawsuit.
The 1991 untitled work is part of the artist’s Menziken series box, containing a clear green acrylic sheet in an aluminum and plexiglass container. was sued for $270,000 in additional damages and attorneys’ fees.
“Donald Judd was noted for his strict manufacturing standards and the continued physical integrity of his works of art.” Complaints pointed out“If fingerprints do get on the surface of anodized aluminum, they must be removed immediately. Otherwise, over time, the oils from the fingerprints will react with the surface, causing a permanent, irreversible disfigurement.” It can leave traces.”
Judd, who died in 1994, often described his sculptures in philosophical terms. write that menjiken box It was “an attempt to create a definitive second side”.
“The inside is radically different from the outside,” he writes. “Clear and rigorous on the outside, imprecise on the inside.”
The Judd Foundation, the custodian of the artist’s estate, declined to comment on the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court last week. Tina Kim Gallery New York and international gallery In Seoul, it responded to a request for comment.
The gallery is jointly run by brothers Tina and Charles Kim, who received a commission from the Judd Foundation in March 2015 to sell their sculptures at that year’s Frieze New York Art Fair. As the price of the work rose from $750,000 to $850,000 based on the strength of the artist’s market, no sale materialized and the commission was extended twice.
When the gallery returned the sculpture in 2018, conservators at the Judd Foundation noticed cosmetic damage. “Both parties agreed that the damage was almost certainly irreparable and therefore the work could no longer be sold,” the lawsuit asserted.
Caring for Judd’s work requires meticulous attention to detail. According to the lawsuit, the commission agreement required written consent from the Judd Foundation before the Menziken sculpture could be cleaned or preserved.
Museum of Modern Art exhibiting Dozens of Judd sculptures at the 2020 showdid not respond to a request for comment on how it protected the artwork from visitors.In 2020, another shipper filed a $1.7 million lawsuit A gallery in New York objected, accusing him of stripping the paint off an expensive Judd sculpture.
It remains a mystery how Menjiken’s sculpture got its fingerprints.
According to the lawsuit, Mark’s first documents were listed in a July 2017 condition report when the artwork was stored inside a warehouse in New York. The Judd Foundation said the gallery had fingerprints recorded on his three status reports, but did not notify the Foundation.
Legal experts say galleries rarely sue for damage to works of art. Luke Nikas, an attorney unrelated to the case, said the Judd Foundation lawsuit, which alleges galleries are responsible for balancing the retail prices of works, illustrates the importance of clear contract terms. rice field.
“When an artist is a foundation that doesn’t make more work, every dollar counts,” Nikas said.