Art and Me

Jenny Holzer, an American conceptual artist, caught the attention of the public during the Whitney Biennial 2009. As a graduate of RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), she began as an abstract painter, though now she primarily deals with text and its placement in space.

I’m not a big fan of text art (which I mockingly call word art). It makes art way too cerebral, and it eradicates the instinctive dialogue between myself and the work. How am I supposed to respond to the work when I have to think about what the word means and how it affects (and is affected by) the space around me? Even with my skepticism, I found entranced by Holzer’s LED lights; perhaps because of the superficial attraction to bright lights, but I liked the fact that it wasn’t subtle.


Truisms, 1977-79


Purple Cross, 2004

For that reason, her works successfully depict consumerism and the world of advertising. But through her words a certain expectation is broken; the aesthetic is familiar but the text forces us to dig deeper.


Xenon for Berlin, 2001


Xenon for Bergenz, 2004

Check out Holzer’s official website. Also, read interviews and watch videos at Art21.


Wish List Black, 2006