 |
 |
|
|
||||
|
Since 1991, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s Monument to the Last Horse has stood at the center of the Chinati collection as a testament to both the history of Fort D.A. Russell and to the friendship between Donald Judd and the two artists. Chinati will undertake a very important initiative in 2012 – the restoration of this work, which over the course of its 20 years outdoors, has suffered from the extreme weather conditions of the Chihuahuan Desert. We need your help to support the restoration of this great work. Oldenburg and van Bruggen had a deep and meaningful relationship with Judd; they were the artists with whom he engaged in the longest on-going dialogue. In 1987, Judd invited Oldenburg and van Bruggen to Marfa with the hope of adding one of their works to Chinati's collection. He pointed out a deteriorated concrete marker on the grounds that designated the grave of Louie, the last horse of the former fort’s cavalry unit. As a gift to Chinati and a sign of love and loyalty, the team created a work that referenced the site’s rich history and perfectly suited Judd’s humor, spirit, and his respect for the tradition and landscape of far west Texas.
|
|||
Inauguration, Donald Judd and Claes Oldenburg, October 12, 1991
