Jenny Holzer Gallipolis, OH, USA, b. 1950
-
Photo: Amanda Demme -
A neo-conceptual artist, Jenny Holzer, holds immense significance as one of the most notable artists to engage in public art since the 1980s.
b. 1950, Gallipolis, OH, USA
Lives and works in Hoosick, NY, USA
> DOWNLOAD CV
She received a BFA in printmaking and painting from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, in 1972, and an MFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, in 1977. Holzer then moved to New York and enrolled in the Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Her work revolves around the dissemination of words and ideas in public spaces, employing various mediums such as large-scale installations, advertising billboards, projections on buildings and structures, as well as illuminated electronic displays.
Holzer has emerged as a prominent voice spanning multiple generations, shedding light on subjects often unspoken but commonly contemplated. Through her art, she tackles themes such as feminism, power, violence, oppression, consumerism, despair, poverty, and corruption. Her primary concern lies in engaging a wide audience, deliberately removing art from the confines of museums and galleries, and making it accessible to the public at large.
Initially starting with the fly-posters on the streets of New York, Holzer has expanded her reach by disseminating poetic, political, and personal texts, slogans, and aphorisms through various media. Since the mid-1990s, she has undertaken numerous outdoor light projections on buildings in more than 50 countries, encompassing cities ranging from Singapore to San Diego.
One notable series by Holzer, titled ‘Top Secret,’ centers around intelligence documents obtained from the U.S. National Security Archive. These documents, which were published on the archive’s website, reveal details about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. At first glance, the artworks appear akin to color-theory studies reminiscent of Kazimir Malevich and Ad Reinhardt’s works. However, upon closer inspection, viewers realize that the large color blocks are, in fact, redactions, and the seemingly cheerful yellows or reds obscure grim details: some of these documents were heavily censored, rendering them nearly unreadable.
Jenny Holzer was the second female artist to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale in 1990. She was also awarded the Golden Lion, the event’s top honor, that year.
The permanent installation by Jenny Holzer can be seen in many public and art spaces as Peggy Guggenheim Collection (‘Garden Bench’, Venice, Italy), Louvre Abu Dhabi (‘For the Louvre Abu Dhabi’, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), Museo Guggenheim Bilbao (Bilbao, Spain), Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Neue Nationalgalerie (Berlin, Germany).
-
Works
-
Exhibitions
-
News
-
Jenny Holzer | Light Line
May 17 – September 29, 2024 | Guggenheim Museum, New YorkThe exhibition will present a reimagination of Jenny Holzer’s landmark 1989 installation ‘Light Line’ at the Guggenheim. Climbing all six ramps of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed rotunda to the building’s... -
Jenny Holzer | Light projections for the Louvre Abu Dhabi
November, 2022 – January, 2023 | Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abu DhabiJenny Holzer is presenting her iconic light projections for the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s fifth anniversary. Holzer will revisit the theme of creation in the form of large-scale light projections featuring...
-
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Artsy
Subscribe