NEW YORK CITY: NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM THE DONALD JUDD STUDIO AND HOME

 May 2022

Andrew suggested two more places for us to visit while he and Michaela were at work. The first was the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) on Manhattan's Upper West Side across from Central Park. 

The AMNH campus is HUGE. There are 20 interconnected buildings and 2.5 million square feet of space. Obviously, we weren't going to be able to see it all, so we had to be choosy about where to go. On Andrew's recommendation, we headed for a new insect exhibit, the "Insectarium."

This is the "Pollination Portal," which shows how pollination works.

I loved the butterfly displays. We've recently traveled to several tropical areas where the butterflies are much more plentiful than they are in my desert area, and I have become more interested in the many varieties.

The magnifying glass means you can spin the wheel and look at butterflies and bugs up close.

The huge model of multiple combs of a beehive is unique.

Of course, there is lots of good information about various species, and about insects in general.

We also always enjoy animal dioramas, and the the AMNH has some really good ones.

Andrew has taught us to look for mushrooms everywhere we go, even in museum dioramas. These look remarkably real.

The dinosaur skeletons in the main hall are some of the most iconic pieces in the museum.

The other place Andrew recommended was the Donald Judd Home and Studio, located on 101 Spring Street in SoHo. 

I have had an interest in the artist Donald Judd since visiting The Chianti Foundation, a contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texas, which houses many works by Judd and his fellow minimalists. We have also spent some time in one of Judd's other homes, also located in Marfa.

In 1968, Judd purchased a five-story cast-iron building built in 1870 for around $70,000 and remodeled it to become both his NYC residence and his studio for 25 years until his death in 1994. The building is mostly windows, which provide wonderful light throughout the building, just what an artist needs. 

Unfortunately, like the buildings in Marfa, we were not allowed to take photos inside. This is a photo of the main floor--the office and an art gallery--taken from outside through one of the numerous windows.

Judd had separate floors for sleeping, eating, and working. Here are a few more pictures from the internet.

Bedroom. Photo from here. 

Kitchen and eating area.
Minimalist table made by Judd. Photo from here.

Elevator (Not for use by guests--we had to climb all 
four flights of steep, narrow stairs.) Photo from here.

Outside, Judd had ways of getting light even into the dark basement: with glass sidewalks.

I'm not sure I could live the minimalist way, but I love looking at it!