Jenny Holzer More Art

American, b. 1950

Known for taking art out of the traditional “white cube” of galleries and museums and onto the streets, Jenny Holzer is one of the most potent feminist Neo-Conceptual artists of the 20th century. Her most iconic work critiques the information age and consumerism by reclaiming its primary media — conventional print billboards, storefront posters and LED signs.

“I used language because I wanted to offer content that people — not necessarily art people — could understand,” the Ohio-born Holzer told Interview magazine. She received her MFA in painting from Rhode Island School of Design, where her work was influenced by Abstract Expressionism. It was while in the Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum of American Art that Holzer became inspired to work at the intersection of public art and language.

In the late 1970s, after becoming an active participant in the downtown Manhattan artist collective Colab, which included Tom Otterness and Christy Rupp, Holzer began to create her legendary “Truisms” series. Printing anonymous one-line aphorisms in bold and italicized text on broadsheets, she pasted them up in public spaces all over New York City. The “Truisms” are provocative in questioning how we receive and process information. The work elicits debate and represents a range of perspectives. In an era that saw the rise of street art and graffiti, Holzer’s pithy word art would also find viewers by way of T-shirts, stickers and park benches, into which her slogans were carved.

Holzer’s more combative “Inflammatory Essays” (1979–82) took the form of mass-produced posters on colored paper — each featuring paragraphs as compared to the punch-line structure of “Truisms.” These touched on subjects such as violence, misogyny, power structures and consumerism, all of which have continued to be central in her work.

Starting in 1982 as part of a Public Art Fund project, Holzer projected “Protect me from what I want” and other “Truisms” on the Spectacolor board, a large computerized light signboard in New York City’s Times Square. Her “Abuse of power comes as no surprise,” which has appeared on T-shirts as part of the series, has taken on new life in an increasingly politically divided America.

Just as it did in the 1970s, the forcefulness of her work continues to make both viewers and the art world stop and pay attention. She has had solo exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Tate Modern in London and elsewhere. She has also created permanent installations including the New York City AIDS Memorial. A 2014 show at New York’s Cheim & Read featured oil-on-linen canvases based on declassified government files pertaining to detainees from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

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Artist: Jenny Holzer

Jenny HolzerEnd of the USA

$660

End of the USA

By Jenny Holzer

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Jenny Holzer is one of the most important and original artists of the 20th century. Her body of work, with an emphasis on text, is consistently provocative and occasionally frightening, manipulating the language of both pop culture and government slogan to produce commentary on global issues notably power structures and warfare. Holzer's iconic "Inflammatory Essays", produced between 1979 and 1982, were first pasted on walls throughout heavily populated metro areas including New York and other cities. Composed of anonymous statements, printed on friendly or calm colored papers, the statements were influenced by writings of major political figures such as Emma Goldman...

Category

1980s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Offset

Frank SchottMarshall - large format photograph of iconic cherry red Cadillac automobile, 2011

$2,200

H 25 in W 40 in

Marshall - large format photograph of iconic cherry red Cadillac automobile

By Frank Schott

Located in San Francisco, CA

large scale photograph of iconic American vintage car with crimson red sheetmetal paint and custom logo tag Marshall by Frank Schott 25 x 40 inches (64 x 102cm) signed edition of ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée

Annette LemieuxLarge Contemporary Annette Lemieux Photo Etching Aquatint Censor Abstract Print, 1994

$1,200

H 27 in W 34 in

Large Contemporary Annette Lemieux Photo Etching Aquatint Censor Abstract Print

By Annette Lemieux

Located in Surfside, FL

Annette Lemieux (American, 1957-) Date: 1994 Medium: photogravure, aquatint (photo etching) and stencil Hand signed and dated lower right. Editioned lower left. Dimensions: Sheet: 22...

Category

1990s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint, Photogravure

Les LevineLarge Conceptual "Last Book of Life" Photo Etching 1970s Pop Art, c.1978

$850

H 40 in W 30 in

Large Conceptual "Last Book of Life" Photo Etching 1970s Pop Art

By Les Levine

Located in Surfside, FL

Last Book of Life. (Photos from a dinner of Richard Nixon’s with Chou En Lai’s various views of Chinese chopsticks) Photograph etchings Printed on Stonehedge black paper Hand signe...

Category

1970s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Etching, Photogravure

Les LevineLarge Conceptual "Last Book of Life" Photo Etching 1970s Pop Art, c.1978

$850

H 40 in W 30 in

Large Conceptual "Last Book of Life" Photo Etching 1970s Pop Art

By Les Levine

Located in Surfside, FL

Last Book of Life. Richard Nixon’s view of Chou En Lai’s chopsticks Photograph etchings Printed on Stonehedge black paper Hand signed, and numbered, by Levine in red pencil along t...

Category

1970s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Etching, Photogravure

Les LevineLarge Conceptual "Last Book of Life" Photo Etching 1970s Pop Art, c.1978

$850

H 40 in W 30 in

Large Conceptual "Last Book of Life" Photo Etching 1970s Pop Art

By Les Levine

Located in Surfside, FL

Last Book of Life. (Photos from a dinner of Richard Nixon’s with Chou En Lai’s various views of Chinese chopsticks) Photograph etchings Printed on Stonehedge black paper Hand signe...

Category

1970s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Etching, Photogravure

Mel BochnerAmazing - Mint condition screenprint by Mel Bochner, 1919-2022

$19,000

H 36 in W 20.5 in

Amazing - Mint condition screenprint by Mel Bochner

By Mel Bochner

Located in Indianapolis, IN

Mel Bochner Amazing, 2019-2022 Signed and dated on front in graphite Etching in 18 colors 36 x 27 1/2 in 91.4 x 69.8 cm Edition of 30 plus 5 AP, 5 PP, 4 HC; this is 2/30 Provenance:...

Category

2010s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Etching

Heidler & HeepsSingapore Stamp Collection, 30c Singapore Orchid Pink - Floral color photo, 2018

$243

H 20.08 in W 16.15 in D 1.38 in

Singapore Stamp Collection, 30c Singapore Orchid Pink - Floral color photo

By Heidler & Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

30 Cents Singapore Orchid Pink, from the Heidler & Heeps Stamp Collection. This historic postage stamps that make up the Heidler & Heeps Stamp Collection, Singapore Series 'Postcards...

Category

2010s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Tyler StoutThe Terminator By Artist Tyler Stout Arnold Schwarzenegger James Cameron Print, 2020

$1,200Sale Price|20% Off

H 36 in W 24 in

The Terminator By Artist Tyler Stout Arnold Schwarzenegger James Cameron Print

By Tyler Stout

Located in Draper, UT

The Terminator by Tytler Stout Silkscreed Print Arnold Schwarzenegger “I’ve found it works best to do stuff for movies you’re a fan of, movies that have stood the test of time, that are considered classics, stuff that inspires you,” Stout told io9 over email. “My movie fandom starts mainly in the 1980s since that was my childhood. Terminator is 1984, so it’s towards the beginning of that era, early Arnie, Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn, James Cameron. Just seemed a more logical choice than, say, Terms of Endearment. Which will be [my] next poster. Part of our Debra Winger...

Category

2010s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Screen

Heidler & HeepsStamp Collection, Goddess Kannon (Buddhist Goddess of Mercy) - Asian art, 2017

$675

H 29.53 in W 23.63 in D 0.04 in

Stamp Collection, Goddess Kannon (Buddhist Goddess of Mercy) - Asian art

By Heidler & Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

Kannon Goddess of Mercy, part of the Heidler & Heeps Japanese Stamp Collection. This artwork is a limited edition of 25, gloss photographic print (pr...

Category

2010s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Heidler & HeepsStamp Collection, HK$1 - Pop Art Conceptual Color Photography, 2017

$202

H 18.51 in W 15.75 in D 1.38 in

Stamp Collection, HK$1 - Pop Art Conceptual Color Photography

By Heidler & Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

This artwork is a limited edition of 25, gloss photographic print, dry-mounted to aluminium, presented in a museum board white window mount and a choice of black or white box frame. ...

Category

2010s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Richard HeepsRed Lips, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 2016

$675

H 33.47 in W 27.56 in D 0.04 in

Red Lips, Kowloon, Hong Kong

By Richard Heeps

Located in Cambridge, GB

Red Lips, part of Richard's 2016 Hong Kong series, this artwork captures the essence of Kowloon. The bold typography makes cool original pop art. This artwork is a limited edition o...

Category

2010s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin

Jo YarringtonJo Yarrington, Ghost Girls_ The Radium Dance, 2018, Paper, Inkjet Print, 2018

$6,800

H 33 in W 113 in

Jo Yarrington, Ghost Girls_ The Radium Dance, 2018, Paper, Inkjet Print

By Jo Yarrington

Located in Darien, CT

Radioluminescence is the phenomenon by which light is produced in a material by bombardment with ionizing radiation and can be used as a low-level light source for night illumination of instruments or signage or other applications where light must be produced for long periods without external energy sources. Radioluminescent paint used to be used for clock hands and instrument dials...

Category

2010s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Paper, Inkjet

Previously Available Items

Jenny HolzerWords Tend to be Inadequate embroidered tea towel, 2019

Sold

H 29.5 in W 18.9 in

Words Tend to be Inadequate embroidered tea towel

By Jenny Holzer

Located in Washington , DC, DC

Contemplate this though provoking statement with this tea towel designed by Jenny Holzer. Each tea towel is embroidered in the UK and made from 100% organic cotton. Created exclu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Cotton, Organic Material

Jenny HolzerProtect Me From What I Want embroidered tea towel, 2019

Sold

H 29.5 in W 18.9 in

Protect Me From What I Want embroidered tea towel

By Jenny Holzer

Located in Washington , DC, DC

Contemplate this though provoking statement with this tea towel designed by Jenny Holzer. Each tea towel is embroidered in the UK and made from 100% organic cotton. Created exclusi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Cotton, Organic Material

Jenny HolzerEnd of the USA

Sold

H 17 in W 17 in

End of the USA

By Jenny Holzer

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Category

1980s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Offset

Jenny HolzerEnd of the USA

Sold

H 17 in W 17 in

End of the USA

By Jenny Holzer

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Category

1980s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Offset

Jenny HolzerTruism "Travaux Publics", 1996

Sold

H 31.5 in W 19.75 in

Truism "Travaux Publics"

By Jenny Holzer

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Jenny Holzer's "Truisms" are arguably the most iconic and poignant text-based content she has created. Holzer began "Truisms" as a student in 1977. She created a mix of cliches, sl...

Category

1990s Conceptual Jenny Holzer More Art

Materials

Screen

Jenny Holzer more art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Jenny Holzer more art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Jenny Holzer in screen print, wood, cotton and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Jenny Holzer more art, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Christopher Wool, Kerry James Marshall, and Jonas Wood. Jenny Holzer more art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $580 and tops out at $5,500, while the average work can sell for $685.

Questions About Jenny Holzer More Art

What is the point of Jenny Holzer's art?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
While the takeaway of Jenny Holzer’s art is subjective to each individual, her work focuses mainly on the delivery of words and ideas in public spaces with large-scale installations. Shop a selection of Jenny Holzer artwork and prints on 1stDibs.
What medium does Jenny Holzer use?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Jenny Holzer’s medium is visual arts, specifically conceptual art and installations. She draws on social and political commentaries to create her text-rich work. You can shop a selection of Jenny Holzer’s pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.