Jenny Holzer - Truisms

My initial thought of Jenny Holzer’s truism website was that of confusion, but as I read through most of the statements she was relaying, I was able to understand what she was trying to exemplify. After reviewing the definition of the word “truism” in that it is basically a claim that is obvious or that is hardly worth mentioning, I can definitely see Holzer’s sarcasm in her work. Most of the statements she makes go against conventional thought, and are certainly not, in my opinion, things that typically jump into one’s mind. I feel that she is provoking people to think critically and not always go with the norm or the stereotypical answer. However, there are some phrases that would pop into my head, but they are far and few. I feel that Holzer is displaying things that we ultimately think deep down, but that we do not want to admit because they it is “wrong” to think so. For instance, the phrase “stupid people shouldn’t breed” is something most people won’t say out loud, but I’m sure a great deal of people think this thought. Holzer is trying to pull people’s true self by displaying this work of art in hope to break down orthodox ideas and view on the world and society.

The piece of artwork I chose is an electric billboard in New York that displays the truistic phrase, “private property created crime.” I fell that this is very similar to Holzer’s work in that it provokes thought and exhibits an idea that people do not want to talk about. We, Americans, live in a consumer driven, capitalist society that revolves around privatization and no one wants to think that the love of the private market and “freedom” ultimately led to hurtfulness, crime, and hate.