I thoroughly enjoyed reading Jenny Holzer's Truisms, and perusing through the images of their different environmental settings. One phrase that I found truly controversial was "murder has its sexual side". I don't find taking life sexy, at all. I don't even think in a Freudian way could I find it sexy. But what's funny is that there are so many TV shows that are focused on fictional murder, more particularly rape and child molestation like Law & Order: SVU. I don't think I will ever understand why people watch those shows. There's already so many negative and terrifying things happening in the world, why would anyone want to watch a fictional version of that, and find it entertaining? In my opinion, I think Holzer is recognizing the strange, sadistic side of our society- that people are intrigued by unfortunate and disturbing events happening to others. The phrase is so absurd, and yet for many TV views it's applicable, and therefore it's rather humorous.The picture I chose is a quote from Art Buchwald painted anonymously on a decrepit wall. The simplicity and imperfection of the setting, the straightforwardness of the text, and the phrase itself all come together to make the point: objects are objects. Things like emotions- love, friendship, generosity- are the most moving and powerful.
I think it is important to note that shows like that also make certain crimes seem more prevalent than reality. In our society the media constantly has articles on negative and terrifying things. This makes many people feel like the world is a much more negative place than it needs to be. I think art helps people think about this and bring better ideas into our heads.
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