Jenny Holzer Womens Movement - Essay Example

Jenny Holzer When examining the womens movement around the 1970s, Jenny Holzer holds breadth, as one of the greatest women artists whose work has been embrace by many. Holzer was born on July 29, 1950 into a family of two Ford auto dealers in Gallipolis, Ohio. Her initial aspiration was to become an abstract painter. Jenny graduated with a degree from Ohio University in Athens after taking a course in general art at Duke University and printing and drawing at the University of Chicago. During the summer, she enrolled at the Rhodes Island school of Design, where she learnt abstract painting styles with the influence of color field painters Morris Louis & Mark Rothko. In the early 1976, she moved to Manhattan, where she participated in the Whitney Museum’s study program, which introduced her to her first work in public art, language, and installation (Kelleher, 2009). Exploration of Jenny Holzer’s works takes root from her first public works, Truism from 1977-83, which were in the form of different spreadsheets she published anonymously in black italic font on walls, fences, white papers, and wheat-pasted to buildings mainly around Manhattan. In addition, the Truism works were also often printed on T-shirts, posters and stickers, which she carved on stones of public beaches (Holzer, n.d). The use of light emitting diodes (L.E.D), a program sponsored by the Public Art fund program made her works more pronounceable because it made it possible for the work to reach a larger audience as illustrated below in her works. Light Emitting Diode(L.E.D) technology Truisms, a series started in Early 1977, forms an integral part of Holzer’s career path. She employed the use of text to manipulate the pop culture language by developing slogans appropriately from common colloquialisms, which were design deliberately in a way challenging the viewers to question stereotypes consumption. Letterheads like, "Men are not monogamous by nature," and "Enjoy yourself because you cant change anything anyway (Arthistoryarchive.com, n.d.)". Truism caught the city unaware through a variety of media, such as posters pasted in the public sphere and sometimes alongside works by graffiti legends. In 1983, Holzer launched The Survival Series, which adopted a more personal and urgent stance meant to expose the realities of everyday living, the dangers experienced, and the underlying horrors as the major themes. The series presented phrases intended to propel the passive viewer into an act of questioning. Some of these slogans included “Men don’t protect anymore,” and start of the war will be secret, and “The future is stupid.” These messages were then distribute by hand to various audiences in the city hence, formed propaganda conveying her voice (Grosenick and Ilka, 2009, p. 234-35). Further, with immense use of technology, she attempted to distinguish the contemporary life by highlighting the limitations of the information age. In 1979-82, she wrote inflammatory essays, which were print in alphabetical order, first on small sheets and then as a manuscript entitled ‘The Black Book’ (1979). The essays were in both Spanish and English and were majorly influenced by political figures that included Vladimir Lenin, Mao Tse-tung and Emma Goldman. These essays laconically articulated her concerns and anxieties about the contemporary society. They were disperse and stuck on tall walls as posters in densely populated areas of the city hence, appealed to a prominent Latin American demographic. Holzer is acknowledged for the way she chose her words to express herself. She is straightforward, and her messages clearly heard, even when talking about her life. Perhaps the most stringent, personal and ridden series, she has ever done was “Lament.” which was inspired by her first child born in 1989. The series addresses motherhood, pain and violation, torture and death in the voices of dead (Holzer n.d.). For instance, one sentence suggests “IF THE PROCESS STARTS I WILL KILL THIS BABY A GOOD WAY” (Arthistoryarchive.com, n.d.). This is contradiction and inherent on how “to kill”, but in “the right way.” Holzer’s choice of language structure plays a role in revealing the tensions, and the apparent domination of the male being in a contemporary linguistic system. Inflammatory essays Her works are exemplary. In a span of over 30 years, Jenny has offered striking ideas, arguments, and amazing quotes in public places and international exhibitions. Among the major museums, where her work has been shown include, the 7 World Trade Center, the Guggenheim Museums in New York & Bilbao, the Venice Biennale, and the Whitney Museum of American Art (Kort, and Liz, 2009, p. 98). In addition, her works have featured on T-shirts, landscape and architecture, which all portrays her kindness, ignorance, and violence with humor. These achievements have helped her win several awards such as the 1996 Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum and the 1990 Leone dOro at the Venice Biennale (Kort, and Liz, 2002, p. 99). Wheat-pasted to buildings What motivated Holzer? Her motivation can be traced from the kind of jobs she has done and her early life. Considering her role in the Feminism Art Movement and the challenges that women had faced for years, including discrimination, Holzer is motivated to change the voice and protect women young and old using her works. Economically, Holzer was motivated because most of her works are rich in information and have awarded her numerous awards one of them being Venice Biennale in 1990. According to Artist Suzanne Lacy, the goal of Feminist art is to “influence cultural attitudes and transform stereotypes." Holzer draws out such objectives in Truism to change stereotypes. History and climate either favored her greatly because she managed to stand where other women failed because of discrimination, but with the rise of Feminism and extemporary works, she helped them gain recognition. Finally, Holzer gets her motivation from the passion she has for art with the aim to bring to the open, the evil in society. In an appraisal of the success of Holzer’s journey in the work of art and achievements she has made since she ventured into her career in the 1970s, her work is extensive and spectacular. Before 1960, majority of women artists’ were discriminated on gender basis and often denied exhibitions and gallery representation in Museums. Thereafter, with the rise of Feminism, the likes of Holzer got an opportunity to display their works in museums, and hence, she exploited the chance maximally. Further, she appreciates everybody and advocates for equality for all people. For instance in one of her works referring to parents, she wrote that mothers should not make many sacrifices and should bring up and treat their children both boys and girls equally. Additionally, two of her familiar phrases written in her work bracket, the political turmoil, and material selfishness of the United States during the last decade. Therefore, it is evident that her works serve as a reflection of the evil society, which she hopes to change through the works of art. Works Cited Annotations Arthistoryarchive.com. Jenny Holzer - Biography & Art - The Art History Archive. (n.d.). Web. Available http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/contemporary/Jenny-Holzer.html [Accessed 22 Sept. 2014] The article on this site (arthistoryarchive.com) is about Jenny Holzer’s Biography. The author covers major areas of her works which include; language as Art, art and technology and Virtual Art as employed by Holzer in works. In the article the author shows how Holzer used technology in 1982 to transform her work to reach large audience. With technology, the spectacular forty-second interval flash in the article illustrates how new media transformed Holzer’s work. The author also talks of truism, inflammatory essays, and survival series and most importantly about the birth of her daughter in 1989 and her mother-daughter relationship. "Biography — Jek2nny Holzer." Jenny Holzer. N.p., n.d. Web. Available http://projects.jennyholzer.com/biography [Accessed 22 Sept. 2014] This article is from Holzer’s works site. On one tab is the biography of Holzer; the author talks about her path as an artist for over thirty years with her international exhibitions which include 7 World Trade Center. Her practice rivaled ignorance & violence with moral courage, humor, and kindness. The author Talks further of Holzer’s honorary degrees and awards, which she won because of her extemporary works. The awards are; the 1996 Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum and the 1990 Leone dOro at the Venice Biennale. The site also contains numerous photos of Holzer’s works such as essays, wall instillations in New York City. Grosenick, Uta, and Ilka Becker. Women Artists in The 20Th And 21St Century. 1st ed pg 234-235. Köln: Taschen, 2001. Print. This book is written by two authors Grosenick Uta, and Ilka Becker. Their inventive work layout is effective in presenting the provocative works, words and bibliography of the nearly 100. The list is arranged alphabetically with women artists whose works started being exhibited in from 1960 in major Museums with rise of Feminism art movement. On page 234-235, the feature Jenny Holzer and her works. They have written about her as a proactive artist in attack of political figures. Kelleher, Katy. Artistic Endeavors: Jenny Holzer On Writing, Law & Order And Pizza. Jezebel. N.p., 2009. Web. Available http://jezebel.com/5429669/artistic-endevors-jenny-holzer-on-writing-law--order-and-pizza [Accessed 22 Sept. 2014] This is an article by Katy Kelleher narrating the interview held by the New York reporter with Jenny Holzer about her writing endeavor. She talked of how she moved to NY in the 1970s & began writing when I was at the museum of Whitney Independent Study Program. She further talks of her feminism role and her rejection to be labeled “feminist”. Her claim is that she is too reserved to be a feminist. During the interview, Holzer breaks about her personal life. She loves laundry and beliefs she can succeed in it. Her nightly routine ranges include frozen pizza and Law & Order. Kort, Carol, and Liz Sonneborn. "HOLZER, JENNY." A-Z of American Women in the Visual Arts. New York: Facts on File, 2002. 99. Print. This book by Kort and Sonneborn is a reference book focused on American women involved in the visual art from the 18th - the 21st century. The book contains photographers, craftspeople, illustrators, architects, and folk artists as well as sculptors & painters. In page 99, the authors have written about Jenny Holzer and her works as an artist. The author has written on the evolvement of Holzer from a simple painter aspirant to a mature artistic writer in New York. Within the book are some of Holzer’s icon pictures instilled on walls of buildings, inflammatory essays and the drive of truism. Read More