JENNY HOLZER - BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. · 2015. 6. 8. · Jenny Holzer has been using text in her art since the late 1970s. One of her best-known works, Truisms (1977-79),

JENNY HOLZER

This resource is in presentation style, for use with Power Point or as a printed handout. It can be used as part of pre-visit preparation, to accompany a visit, or can stand alone. It consists of 2 parts:

Information, images and ideas for students

•Abouttheartist•Aboutthework•Thingstothinkabout•Inmyopinion•Here’soneImadeearlier…•Furtherresearch

Notes for teachers

•Crosscurricular opportunities •Usefullinksand

additional resources

Part One Part Two

BEfORE YOu BEgiN

PART ONE

JennyHolzerwasborninGallipolis,Ohio,USA,in1950.ShestudiedFineArt atOhioUniversityandRhodeIslandSchoolofDesign.Holzer’sworkhasbeenshowninartgalleriesandpublicspacesaroundtheworldincludingtheGuggenheimmuseumsinNewYorkandBilbao,andtheReichstagbuildinginGermany.In2000,sheparticipatedinB4B,BALTIC’spre-openingprogramme,projectingtextonto thesidesofbuildingsandstructuresinTyneside,includingtheCastleKeep,BALTICandaboatontheriverTyne.HolzerlivesandworksinNewYork.

ABOuT THE ARTiST

JennyHolzerhasbeenusingtextinherartsincethelate1970s.Oneofher best-knownworks,Truisms(1977-79),tooktheformofposterspasteduparoundthestreetsofNewYork.Theposterspresentedlistsofwrittenstatements,expressingarangeofcontradictoryopinions.Peoplepassinginthestreet were left to wonder who had written the anonymous statements, and whether theyagreedwitheachone.In1982HolzerbeganpresentingherTruisms on rectangularelectronicsignsorLEDdisplays,normallyusedinadvertisingorforgivingpracticalinformationinpublicspaces.Shehasusedthismediumeversince,withingalleriesandpublicspaces,enablinghertoexperimentwiththecolour,movementanddirectionofthetext.Holzerisalsoknownforworkingwithlarge-scaleprojectedtextinpublicspaces.Aswellasusingtheexteriorwallsofmanybuildingsthroughouttheworld,shehasprojectedontonaturalsurfacessuchassand,waterandthesideofamountain.Holzer’sworkconfrontspeoplewith contradictory views on fundamental human themes, such as hope, despair, needandlonging,oftenforcingtheviewertorethinktheirresponse.

ABOuT THE WORK

ThisisanexhibitionofartworkscreatedbyHolzerfromthemid1990stothepresentday,shownacrosstwofloorsatBALTIC.Aswellascontinuingtoworkwithtextandelectronicdisplays,Holzerhasexpandedtherange ofmediasheuses,includingnewworkinsculpture,paintingandprojectionin interior spaces.

In2001Holzerstoppedusingherownwritinginherworkandbegan usingtextfromarangeofdifferentsourcesincludingofficialdocuments andpoetry.Holzer’songoinginterestinthesubjectofwarisreflectedin heruseofdeclassifiedUSgovernmentdocumentsrelatingtoconflictin theMiddleEastandthewarinIraq.Thesedocuments,includingpages fromaPowerpointpresentationoutliningtheU.Sstrategyforthewarin IraqandhandprintsofU.SsoldiersaccusedofcrimesinIraq,providethesourcematerialforHolzer’sRedaction Paintings. The documents were originallyconfidentialbecausetheywereconsideredtocontainsensitiveinformation.Theyhavesincebeen‘de-classified’andmadeavailableto thepublic,butonlyaftercertainpartsofthedocumentswereblacked outinordertoconcealany‘sensitive’information,aprocessknownasredaction.ManyoftherecentLEDworksintheexhibitionsuchasThorax (2008),Purple(2008)andRed Yellow Looming(2004),alsodisplaytextstakenfromdeclassifiedU.Sgovernmentdocuments.Theviewerisinvitedtoquestiontheirtrustofauthorityandreflectonthecensorshipofinformation.

ABOuT THE WORK

JennyHolzeruseselectronic,LEDsignstocreatesomeofherartworks.

•Wheremightyounormallyseethistypeofsign? • Haveyouseenoneanywherebefore?•Whattypeoftextisoftendisplayedonsignslikethese?

Lookatseveraldifferentworksintheexhibitionwhichuseelectronic, LEDsigns.Spendsometimelookingattheworksandtrytoreadthe textwhichisbeingdisplayed.

•Whodoyouthinkhaswrittenthetext?•Wherehasitcomefrom?• Doesitmatterwhetheryouknowtheoriginalsourceofthetext?• Howdoesthemovementofthetextaffectyourexperience whenyouarelookingatthework?

THiNgS TO THiNK ABOuT

Whentalkingaboutthedifferencebetweendisplayingtextinanartgallery orinapublicspace,JennyHolzersays,

“...The subject matter tends to be the same, but what I’ll do if I know it’s going to be in a gallery or museum where people are willing to invest more time, is write longer, more complicated texts. On the street the text has to become a one-liner if I hope to catch someone’s attention.”

•Whydoyouthinkpeoplemightspendlongerlookingattextin anartgallerythantheywouldiftheywereoutsideonthestreet?• Doyouthinkthereareanyotherdifferencesbetweenshowing textinapublicspaceorinanartgallery?

WhentalkingaboutthecolourschemeusedtopaintofficialdocumentsinherRedactionPaintings,Holzersaysthat“black on white seems factual”.

• Doyouagree?•Whydoyouthinkblackonwhitemightseemfactual?•Whateffectwouldithaveifthedocumentswerepainted usingothercolours?•Woulditchangethemeaningofthetextorfeelingcreatedbythework?

In small groups, discuss the differences between these words:• opinion• fact • statement • fiction

Chooseoneoftheartworksintheexhibitionandwriteasentence about it which includes one of the words.

iN MY OPiNiON

Thephrase,‘alandscapeoftext’,hasbeenusedtodescribesomeof JennyHolzer’sartworks.Thinkaboutthemeaningofthephrase.

•Whatmight‘alandscapeoftext’looklike?•Whattextcoulditinclude?

Createanartworkwhichreflectsyourownpersonalresponsetothe phrase‘alandscapeoftext’.Considerthedifferentwaysinwhichyoucouldrespond to the phrase, and incorporate your own thoughts and ideas.

Herearesomesuggestionsofmaterialsandtechniquesyoucoulduse:

•Writeonacetate,thenholditupinfrontofaviewandphotographit.• Createasculptureorinstallationbyplacinglettersinanoutdoor landscape.Photographtheworktorecorditorinvitepeopletocome and see it.• Collecttextfromnewspapers,magazines,scrapofficepaper,bustickets orcarrierbagsanduseitinyourwork.• Cutyourownlettersoutofdifferentmaterials.• Create3Dlettersusingarangeofmaterials.Standthemupindifferent places and photograph them.• Createanimagebybuildinguptextinlayers.Considerwhetheryou want the audience to be able to read it.

HERE’S ONE i MADE EARLiER

• Chooseajourneywhichyoumakeregularlye.g.yourroutetoschool, toyourfriend’shouse,orfromyourhometothetowncentre.

• Useadigitalcameratophotographallthetextyouseealongtheroute.

• Lookcloselyatyoursurroundingsandtrytospottextinarangeof different places e.g. street signs, shop signs, on rubbish such as packaging,ticketsandcarrierbagsoronadvertising.

• Downloadyourphotosandusethemtocreatealine,gridormap to represent your chosen route.

• Putyourfinishedworkonthewall,alongsidethatofotherpeoplein yourclass.Isthetextdifferentdependingonthetypeofenvironment orplacewherethephotosweretaken?

HERE’S ONE i MADE EARLiER

BarbaraKrugerBruceNaumanDanFlavinDanielBuren EdRuschaHansHaackeJosephKosuthKayRosen LawrenceWeinerLaurieAndersonLouiseBourgeoisLouiseLawlerMarcelDuchampMarkTitchnerNancySpero

fuRTHER RESEARCH

authority opinion war

censorship original statement text

contradiction factual government painting source truism

declassified document sculpture

projection

public space

LiTERACY KEY WORDS

PART TWO

Contemporaryartisincrediblydiverseandwiderangingandcanbeused tosupportteachingandlearningaspartofanentirelearningexperience. Itcanbeusedtogeneratecreativethinkinginallsubjectareasandto support learning across curricular dimensions, as well as contribute to personal development and personalised learning.

NOTES fOR TEACHERS

• ArtandDesign• English• History• ICT• Citizenship

CROSS CuRRiCuLAR OPPORTuNiTES

BALTIC www.balticmill.com

QUAYwww.balticmill.com/quay

LibraryandArchivehttp://archive.balticmill.com

‘Inmyopinion’toolkittohelppupilsapproachartwork, formulatequestionsandcontributeopinions http://www.balticmill.com/learning/Downloads.php

Blankpresentationtemplate: pupils can use this topresent their own research and ideas http://www.balticmill.com/learning/Downloads.php

BalticSecondaryResourcesBank: pupils can use thisto search for and download images and other information http://www.balticmill.com/learning/Downloads.php

uSEfuL LiNKS AND ADDiTiONAL RESOuRCES

Slide 3 MONUMENT,2008(detail)22 electronic signs with red, white, and blue diodesInstallation: LIKE TRUTH,Diehl+GalleryOne,Moscow,2008.Text:Truisms,1977–79;InflammatoryEssays,1979–82.©2010JennyHolzer,memberArtistsRightsSociety(ARS),NY.Photo:VassilijGureev Slide 4JennyHolzerPhotograph by Vera Isler©Thephotographer Slide 5 Red Yellow Looming,2004(detail)13electronicsignswithredandamberdiodesInstallation:JennyHolzer:PROTECT PROTECT,MuseumofContemporaryArt(MCA),Chicago,2009Text:U.S.governmentdocuments©2010JennyHolzer,memberArtistsRightsSociety(ARS),NY.Photo:AttilioMaranzano

Slide 6Right Hand (Palm Rolled),2007Oilonlinen.80x62in.;203.2x157.5cm.Text:U.S.governmentdocument.©2010JennyHolzer,memberArtistsRightsSociety(ARS),NY.

Slide 7MONUMENT,200822 electronic signs with red, white, and blue diodes194.3x57.8x28.9in.;493.5x146.8x73.4cm.Installation: LIKE TRUTH,Diehl+GalleryOne,Moscow,2008.Text:Truisms,1977–79;InflammatoryEssays,1979–82.©2010JennyHolzer,memberArtistsRightsSociety(ARS),NY. Photo:VassilijGureev Slide 8PALM, FINGERS & FINGERTIPS 000406,2007Oilonlinen.58x44in.;147.3x111.8cm.Text:U.S.governmentdocument.©2010JennyHolzer,memberArtistsRightsSociety(ARS),NY.

Slide 9For New York City, 2004LightprojectionBethesdaFountain,CentralPark,NewYorkText(pictured):“LoveLiesSleeping”fromTheComplete Poems:1927–1979byElizabethBishop,copyright©1979,1983byAliceHelenMethfessel.Usedby/reprintedwithpermissionfromFarrar,StrausandGiroux,LLC.PresentedbyCreativeTime.©2010JennyHolzer,memberArtistsRightsSociety(ARS),NY.Photo:AttilioMaranzano Slide 10For Chicago, 200711electronicsignswithamberdiodes2.36x334.9x576in.;6x850.6x1,463cm.Installation:JennyHolzer:PROTECT PROTECT,MuseumofContemporaryArt(MCA),Chicago,2008Text(pictured):Arno,1996.©2010JennyHolzer,memberArtistsRightsSociety(ARS),NY. Photo:AttilioMaranzano

iMAgE CREDiTS