Jenny Holzer
Jenny Holzer is a rare find. I discovered her through her postcards, on display in the
Modern Tate Museum (London, England). "Protect Me From What I Want".
"I'll Cut the Smile Off Your Face". She immediately reminded me of
Fiona Apple, speaking the same language; however she was the
predecessor. She uses words as art and calls them truisms. As early
as 1977, she started by posting her truisms all around New York City.
This was art for her, and she was using words for expression. She was suicidal in college because a lot of her professors didn't think her work should have been described as "art".
Holzer might say something that sounds definitive but is open for
wide interpretation and personalization. Take one of her early truisms
for example: YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT PEOPLE REALLY THINK ABOUT YOU.
You start to think about how people really think about you. She hands
out ideas and sometimes she says things that are disagreeable.
MORALS ARE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. Oh come on Jenny! You've got to
have standards and it is having morality that presents a strong person.
Some people are upset by her funding and banality.
In 1999, USC's Film Deptment commissioned her to work on a project, creating awareness about the McCarthy Era. The project was called Blacklist, and involves beautiful stone benches in a garden on the campus.
All her text is presented in CAPITAL LETTERS making it sound
authoratative or at least emphatic. She doesn't waste any breath.
Any thing she says is simple and to the point.
WHO?
Born: July 29, 1950 in gallipolis, ohio.
Links:
-Allison McCulloch
Lives and works: in new york.
Family: Mike Glier (husband), Lili Glier (daughter), Fritz (brother)
Adaweb
Biography
Cheim & Read (They represent her)
Exhibition
German spot
German building
Jenny Holzer with Class
Mary Alice Casey's Article
Please Change Beliefs
Words Become Art
Stuart Collection nice pics, sound
Truisms
U2 and Jenny