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Jenny Holzer

Although from a younger generation than Lawrence Weiner, Jenny Holzer's use of language has made her one of the pioneers of conceptual art. Working on both a small and, more recently, large scale, her use of new technologies and subtle understanding of architectural and even landscape spaces shows her to be one of the most most significant, uncompromising and truth-seeking artists of our time.

Everyone can access the meaning of text but not everyone knows that it can be a sculptural experience. Born in 1950, Holzer's early texts - short, pithy, printed statements - appeared on walls, the sides of telephone booths, as mail shots, on T-shirts and baseball caps. She began using Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in public spaces and in the 1990s began to uses Xenon projections which can reach onto buildings from a distance. Over the years, her writings have become a social and psychological portrait of our time. Her projects have included the American Pavilion at the 44th Venice Biennale, where she won the main prize.

Holzer worked with ARTIST ROOMS to create a group of works which shows some of the recurring themes she has worked on, such as violence, power, war, sex and money. She also made available two paintings from her 'PROTECT PROTECT' series in which she presents formerly classified material relating to the Iraq War containing battle plans and the testimonies of soldiers and detainees. The towering 'BLUE PURPLE TILT' consists of seven double-sided vertical LED displays and is programmed with a selection of messages from several of Holzer's early text series.

Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland would like to recognise the artist's generous donation of works to the ARTIST ROOMS collection.

  • Protect Protect, 2007
    Protect Protect, 2007

    Painting

  • Shape the Battlespace, 2007
    Shape the Battlespace, 2007

    Painting

  • Phase I...Running Start Shape the Battlespace pewter, 2007
    Phase I...Running Start Shape the Battlespace pewter, 2007

    Painting

  • Phase II...Running Start Decisive Operations violet, 2007
    Phase II...Running Start Decisive Operations violet, 2007

    Painting

  • Force at End of Phase III (If Required) violet, 2007
    Force at End of Phase III (If Required) violet, 2007

    Painting

  • Phase III - Decisive Operations violet, 2007
    Phase III - Decisive Operations violet, 2007

    Painting

  • Blue Purple Tilt, 2007
    Blue Purple Tilt, 2007

    Sculpture

  • I Placed My Feet
    I Placed My Feet

    Sculpture

  • The Beauty Worshipped
    The Beauty Worshipped

    Sculpture

  • They're Breathing
    They're Breathing

    Sculpture

  • You Enemy
    You Enemy

    Sculpture

Protect Protect, 2007
Protect Protect, 2007
2007, Oil paint on canvas, 2011 x 2600 x 40 mm
© Jenny Holzer, member/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
#AR00083
Shape the Battlespace, 2007
Shape the Battlespace, 2007
2007, Oil paint on canvas, 2011 x 2602 x 40 mm
© Jenny Holzer, member/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
#AR00084
Phase I...Running Start Shape the Battlespace pewter, 2007
Phase I...Running Start Shape the Battlespace pewter, 2007
2007, Oil paint on canvas, 2011 x 2600 x 40 mm
© Jenny Holzer, member/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
#AR01132
Phase II...Running Start Decisive Operations violet, 2007
Phase II...Running Start Decisive Operations violet, 2007
2007, Oil paint on canvas, 2011 x 2600 x 40 mm
© Jenny Holzer, member/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
#AR01133
Force at End of Phase III (If Required) violet, 2007
Force at End of Phase III (If Required) violet, 2007
2007, Oil paint on canvas, 2011 x 2600 x 40 mm
© Jenny Holzer, member/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
#AR01134
Phase III - Decisive Operations violet, 2007
Phase III - Decisive Operations violet, 2007
2007, Oil paint on canvas, 2011 x 2600 x 40 mm
© Jenny Holzer, member/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
#AR01135
Blue Purple Tilt, 2007
Blue Purple Tilt, 2007
2007, 7 light-emitting diode columns, each: 4190 x 136 x 136 mm
© Jenny Holzer, member/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
#AR00082
I Placed My Feet
I Placed My Feet
2017, Rosso francia marble, 43 × 134 × 51 cm
© Jenny Holzer
#AR01270
The Beauty Worshipped
The Beauty Worshipped
2017, Rosso francia marble, 43 × 134 × 51 cm
© Jenny Holzer
#AR01268
They're Breathing
They're Breathing
2017, Rosso francia marble, 43 × 134 × 51 cm
© Jenny Holzer
#AR01271
You Enemy
You Enemy
2017, Rosso francia marble, 43 × 134 × 51 cm
© Jenny Holzer
#AR01269
  • ARTIST ROOMS: Jenny Holzer
    Jenny Holzer
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