Jenny Holzer was born in Gallipolis, Ohio in 1950. She attended Ohio State University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and New School University. Much of her work deals with the power of words and statements. Her performance pieces have been executed on some of the most famous buildings in the world, including the Reichstag and the Louvre.
She has had exibitons in several well-known art galleries. Some pieces have been exhibited in the Guggenheim in New York and the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston. Not all of her work is performance-based, she also prints sayings on unconventional items such as condoms and various posters.
This is an interview where she discusses some of the texts she uses
A lot of the words and aphorisms Holzer uses come from cliche sayings and common phrases. She does use some of her own words in her pieces, but she also incorporates words drom outside sources. In one piece, she silk-screened text from declassified government documents detailing prisoner abuse.
I think the most interesting aspect of her work is the fact that she exposes truth through words and phrases in the weirdest places. It creates a certain atmosphere and background for the words, and gives them a new meaning. One of her works, titled "Truisms," dealt with the idea of truth in particular, and it was composed from a lot of her own ideas of what truth is and how we view it.
I think the pieces from this artist truly have an impact on society because they use recognizable objects and quotes, but combine the two in an unexpected manner. I especially enjoy the "YOU ARE MY OWN" piece...the photograph seems calm and peaceful which could portray the gentle feelings meant by the quote, but if the wall were photographed at another time of day, the piece could take on a completely different meaning.
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