Feminist Artist Case Study

1. Jenny Holzer
Feminist American Literary Artist

2.  Born July 29th, 1950
 In college, she aspired to be an abstract
painter at Rhode Island Institute.
 For more than thirty years, Jenny Holzer
has presented her astringent ideas,
arguments, and sorrows in public places
and international exhibitions, including 7
World Trade Center, the Reichstag, the
Venice Biennale, the Guggenheim Museums
in New York and Bilbao, and the Whitney
Museum of American Art.
Biography

3.  Holzer copied diagrams from textbooks and found herself drawn to the
captions beneath the images. Holzer liked the “neutral, factual and
anonymous” nature of the text and this inspired her change from painting to
text work, which has been present in all of her works made since this time.
 Holzer moved to New York in the late 1970’s. The urban landscape, in
particular the bombardment of text displayed on billboards, lights and
advertising inspired her to add her own text (“truisms”) to this landscape.
 Beginning by sticking small posters with text onto walls and windows in
lower Manhattan, her work developed and she began making work with text
displayed on mugs, golf balls, bumper stickers, t-shirts and other objects.
 Eventually projecting text through light onto buildings, rivers and oceans.
Concepts, Themes & Influences

4.  Holzer’s change from more traditional
methods of art making was also inspired by
conceptual artists such as Joseph Kosuth
who believed art should be a rejection of
formalism and rather a continuation of
philosophy.
 Holzer also drew influence from her
experience as a student at the Whitney
Museum of American Art, where she felt
painting was discouraged.
 Her instructor Ron Clarke encouraged her to
read about a variety of theorists and artists
including Bertolt Brecht to Jaques Derrida.
Weekly guest speakers included such
conceptual artists as Vito Acconci, Dan
Graham and Alice Neel.
Concepts, Themes and Influences
Joseph Kosuth One and eight - a
description (1965).

5.  These directly inspired her
“Truisms” series. Holzer is
influenced by political issues in
many of her works.
Concepts, Themes and Influences
 Works such as
‘Lustmord’
comment on the
treatment of female
victims of war
during the war in
former Yugoslavia
 and her ‘Redaction prints’ in which
she uses US army documents
containing information about the
mistreatment of Afghan and Iraqi
civilians at the hands of American
soldiers.

6.  Her medium, whether formulated as a T-shirt, as a
plaque, or as an LED sign, is writing, and the public
dimension is integral to the delivery of her work.
Starting in the 1970s with the New York City
posters, and up to her recent light projections on
landscape and architecture, her practice has rivaled
ignorance and violence with humor, kindness, and
moral courage.
 Holzer’s text works often address difficult subjects
such as injustice, political and sexual violence,
death, grief and rage. As well as exploring these
broad and political themes her works also express
the intimate and personal.
Protect me from what I want (1985-
86)
Protect me from what I want by
Jenny Holzer, (1985-86). Electronic
LED sign, Spectacular board, Times
Square, New York.
 Holzer originally created her own statements, but has altered this style in the past
decade, borrowing text from poets, politicians, and anonymous people of state
security forces. Holzer has presented these text works using light projection,
carved words into marble benches and seats, written in red ink and blood onto
flesh, and printed words onto objects and clothing.

7.  Another one of Holzer’s powerful series is
called Lustmord which means sexual murder
involving rape in German. This piece is
dedicated to raising awareness on the tragedy
of rape following the war on what was
Yugoslavia. The series first appeared as ink on
skin in the Sudeutsches Zeitung Magazin gallery
in Germany in 1993-1994. The texts are written
on the skin of female volunteers and have
either the viewpoint of the perpetrator of the
rape, the victim or the observer and cropped
into a square image.
Lustmord (1993)
I am awake in the place
where women die, part of
the Lustmord series by
Jenny Holzer (1993). Ink
on flesh, documented by
photograph.

8.  “The writings on the skin opens up the
incongruity between the rape as a traumatic act
and its symbolic inscription. The inscriptions
remain detached from the body; they are
messages that can never convey the trauma of
the act itself” (Reckitt & Phelan 2001). The
viewer must take on the role of decider
between which viewpoint they are reading the
text in making them in some way feel as though
they are embodying the text. This forces the
viewer into the shoes of the person they are
reading about thereby holding the viewer
responsible for what has almost become a
norm in our society.
Art Practice
I am awake in the place
where women die, part of
the Lustmord series by
Jenny Holzer (1993). Ink
on flesh, documented by
photograph.

9. You may read the text of this image at the bottom of the website, in your own
time if you wish.
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/contemporary/Jenny-Holzer.html
A section of the
skin writing
pieces from the
Lustmord series
by Jenny Holzer
(1993). Ink on
flesh,
documented by
photograph.

10.  Click to view a YouTube video which explores Holzer’s practice
and investigate her thoughts on her works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y74WGcc084M
 Homework: Write your own Truism.
 Education Kit:
https://www.accaonline.org.au/sites/default/files/JENNYHOLZERED
KIT.pdf
Artist Interview