Jenny Holzer

The following are statements that really grabbed my attention:

1.      Being judgmental is a sign of life

2.      Being sure of yourself means you’re a fool

3.      Children are the most cruel of all

4.      Children are the hope of the future

5.      Class structure is as artificial as plastic

6.      Confusing yourself is a way to stay honest

7.      Dreaming while awake is a frightening contradiction

8.      Elaboration is a form of pollution

9.      Faithfulness is a social not a biological law

10.  It is a gift to the world not to have babies

11.  Looking back is the first sign of aging and decay

12.  Most people are not fit to rule themselves

13.  People are boring unless they are extremists

14.  Private property created crime

15.  Raise boys and girls the same way

16.  Religion causes as many problems as it solves

Jenny Holzer

17.  Repetition is the best way to learn

18.  Sacrificing yourself for a bad cause is not a moral act

19.  Sin is a means of social control

20.  Stupid people shouldn’t breed

The statements that Jenny Holzer uses for her pieces are intriguing in that they are loaded in meaning and provoke disorder in societal norms. For example, “Class structure is as artificial as plastic,” can be taken as class structure in regards to society or class structure in regards to structure within a classroom. Either way, referencing class structure as plastic is saying that is artificial, and therefore if it is artificial, why should it exist? Or, does it even exist? Such a simple statement encourages complex thought, and when created into a piece of art it calls for many interpretations. Art is a five course meal for the brain.