Holzer’s practice emerged at a time when the enduring legacy of Pop Art’s imagery and slogans intersected with a crisis in painting and with new approaches to space, structure, and the very nature of the work of art. Initially trained as a painter, Holzer moved away from the vocabulary of abstract imagery towards what she describes as “pure writing.” In 1977, she began her first series, Truisms, comprising concise statements and incisive aphorisms such as “MONEY CREATES TASTE,” “ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE,” and “MOSTLY YOU SHOULD MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.” These statements marked the starting point of an inquiry that continues to this day.
Jenny Holzer’s work speaks. It speaks of words and language, of how ideas and discourses are articulated, of formulation, diction, expression, and all that follows. It speaks to you and to us, to our conventions and our conflicts. Rich in meaning yet seemingly neutral, even coolly informational in tone, her work is animated by the paradox of a form that captivates and seduces. Words take on a physical presence and exceed their own boundaries; propositions are tested through the very means by which the medium gives substance to the message.