Jenny Holzer
Jenny Holzer
Jenny Holzer is an American neo-conceptual artist, based in Hoosick Falls, New York. The main focus of her work is the delivery of words and ideas in public spaces...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPainter
Date of Birth29 July 1950
CountryUnited States of America
beauty closer light might terrible
There's something about light that's right for these terrible subjects. It's a way of having beauty let you come closer than you might otherwise.
light terrible
There's something about light that's right for these terrible subjects,
So much of art-making is about reducing things to the essentials, so I don't feel particularly crippled by this. I don't want it to look natural because then I would be making a documentary film.
became benches changed interested moved upstate
One thing that changed when I moved upstate was that I became interested in different materials. I started making the stone benches because I was seeing rocks.
art suspect
I suspect you've noticed that making art can be lonely.
optimistic numbers way
Usually going places makes me feel optimistic. And I'm a hillbilly, so heading to the countryside made sense a number of ways.
real thinking fake-world
Well, I think in trying to make life seem real enough that one is moved to do something about the more atrocious things. By going really far afield into a completely fake world, maybe there's a chance to make things resonant somehow - or in this case, truly terrifying. To make it as bad as the real stuff that's happening.
art always-trying world
I'm always trying to bring unusual content to a different audience - a non-art-world audience.
be-kind want dramatic
It can be kind of gruesome at times, making things alone. I don't want to be too dramatic, but it's hard. It's necessary to start most work alone.
writing numbers people
I was hesitant to approach people. I'm socially awkward. But I was working on a number of memorials, and finally it dawned on me: These are memorials to people who wrote, so I should use their writing. That's how I started to quit.
knowing know-yourself
Knowing yourself lets you understand others.
mean glory output
One of the glories and terrors of working in public is that you do see if your output means anything to anyone.
artist worry stuff
I seldom have my stuff up unless I'm testing it. If I'm worrying about a painting, I put it up and see if I detest it quickly or slowly. Otherwise I have things by other artists.
expressing-anger
Expressing anger is necessary.