Public Artwork

Essays

Jenny Holzer, Essays, 1982
Jenny Holzer, Essays, 1982
Jenny Holzer, Essays, 1982
Jenny Holzer, Essays, 1982
Location:
Toronto, ON, Canada
Alternate title: 
Inflammatory Essays
Artwork creator(s): 
Holzer, Jenny
Text author(s): 
Holzer, Jenny
Installation year: 
1982
Text of the artwork: 

(1982-3)

RUIN YOUR FUCKING SELF BEFORE

THEY DO. OTHERWISE THEY’LL

SCREW YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE A

NOBODY. THEY’LL KEEP YOU

ALIVE BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO

CRAWL AND SAY “THANK YOU”

FOR EVERY BONE THEY THROW.

YOU MIGHT AS WELL STAY DRUNK

OR SHOOT JUNK AND BE A CRAZY

FUCKER. IF THE RICH GUYS WANT

TO PLAY WITH YOU, MAKE THEM

GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY. SEND

THEM AWAY GAGGING OR

SOBBING IF THEY’RE

SOFTHEARTED. YOU’LL BE LEFT

ALONE IF YOU’RE FRIGHTENING,

AND DEAD YOU’RE FREE. YOU

CAN CHANGE THE RADIANT CHILD

IN YOU TO A REFLECTION OF THE

SHIT YOU WERE MEANT TO SERVE.

---

 (1979-81, TORONTO 1982)

BECAUSE THERE IS NO GOD SOMEONE

MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MEN.

A CHARISMATIC LEADER IS IMPERATIVE.

HE CAN SUBORDINATE THE SMALL

WILLS TO THE GREAT ONE. HIS

STRENGTH AND HIS VISION REDEEM

MEN. HIS PERFECTION MAKES THEM

GRATEFUL. LIFE ITSELF IS NOT SACRED,

THERE IS NO DIGNITY IN THE FLESH.

UNDIRECTED MEN ARE CONTENT WITH

RANDOM, SQUALID, POINTLESS LIVES.

THE LEADER GIVES DIRECTION AND

PURPOSE. THE LEADER FORCES GREAT

ACCOMPLISHMENTS, MANDATES PEACE

AND REPELS OUTSIDE AGGRESSORS. HE

IS THE ARCHITECT OF DESTINY. HE

DEMANDS ABSOLUTE LOYALTY. HE

MERITS UNQUESTIONING DEVOTION.

HE ASKS THE SUPREME SACRIFICE. HE IS

THE ONLY HOPE.

---

 

[Segment de texte incomplet]

 

IT’S MO[…]AKES

YOU LOOK AT FINE[…]AND

[…]RE THE MO[…]G POWER OF THE

LET TAPERS TO AN EXQUISITE

STEM OF BONE. SADLY, THE […]OOT

[…]NEXT, ANCHORING[…]ERFUL

CREATURES TO THE DIRT[…]

WADING BIRDS AND THE[…]

PEOPLE HAVE FINE ANKL[…]

IT’S GOOD TO CRACK THE[…]

SUPPORTS SO THEY’LL[…]

DOWN IS AS LOVELY C[…]EN

YOU’LL CARE FOR THE[…]HEY

WILL BE FREE FROM[…]

AND STRUGGLE. YOU[…]

THE SHATTERED A[…]

AND MEANWHILE[…]

LIVE IN A STATE[…]

AND SUSPENDE[…]

---

THE MOST EXQUISITE PLEASURE IS

DOMINATION. NOTHING CAN

COMPARE WITH THE FEELING. THE

MENTAL SENSATIONS ARE EVEN

BETTER THAN THE PHYSICAL ONES.

KNOWING YOU HAVE POWER HAS

TO BE THE BIGGEST HIGH, THE

GREATEST COMFORT. IT IS

COMPLETE SECURITY, PROTECTION

FROM HURT. WHEN YOU DOMINATE

SOMEBODY YOU’RE DOING HIM A

FAVOR. HE PRAYS SOMEONE WILL

CONTROL HIM. YOU’RE HELPING

HIM WHILE HELPING YOURSELF.

EVEN WHEN YOU GET MEAN HE

LIKES IT. SOMETIMES HE’S ANGRY

AND FIGHTS BACK BUT YOU CAN

HANDLE IT. HE ALWAYS REMEMBERS

WHAT HE NEEDS. YOU ALWAYS GET

WHAT YOU WANT.

---

[Segment incomplete text]

 

[…]

W[…]TIME F[…]ALL

TH[…]S IS A PAR[…]

U[…]FORM OF V[…]

TH[…]ED AND ALIEN[…]

ON D[…]ER; THEY RECEI[…]

QUOTA OF STMULATION THIS[…]AY.

THEY AREN’T SYMPATHETIC, JUST BORED.

THEY ANALYZ[…]THE LATEST MASS MURDER,

THEY’RE MAUDLIN OVER STARVING BABIES,

THEY FIND IMAGES OF TERROR AND

REVOLUTION COMPELLING, THEY ADORE

PATHOS, THEY CONGRADULATE

THEMSELVES ON THEIR AWARENESS AND

THEIR STRONG STOMACHS, A LITTLE

REALITY THERAPY WOULD OUT THESE

DILETTANTES TO FLIGHT. ALL THE

“PITIFUL” AND “ENGAGING” PHENOMENA

ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO COME HOME.

---

REJOICE! OUR TIMES ARE INTOLERABLE.

TAKE COURAGE, FOR THE WORST IS A

HARBINGER OF THE BEST. ONLY DIRE

CIRCUMSTANCE CAN PRECIPITATE

THE OVERTHROW OF OPPRESSORS.

THE OLD AND CORRUPT MUST BE LAID

TO REST BEFORE THE JUST CAN

TRIUMPH. OPPOSITION IDENTIFIES AND

ISOLATES THE ENEMY. CONFLICT OF

INTEREST MUST BE SEEN FOR WHAT IT

IS. DO NOT SUPPORT PALLIATIVE

GESTURES; THEY CONFUSE THE PEOPLE

AND DELAY THE INEVITABLE

CONFRONTATION. DELAY IS NOT

TOLERATED FOR IT JEOPORDIZES THE

WELL-BEING OF THE MAJORITY.

CONTRADICTION WILL BE HEIGHTENED,

THE RECKONING WILL BE HASTENED BY

THE STAGING OF SEED DISTURBANCES.

THE APOCALYPSE WILL BLOSSOM. 

---

SENTIMENTALITY DELAYS THE REMOVAL

THE POLITICALLY BACKWARD AND THE

ORGANICALLY UNSOUND. RIGOROUS

SELECTION IS MANDATORY IN SOCIAL AND

GENETIC ENGINEERING. INCORRECT

MERCIFUL IMPULSES POSTPONE THE

CLEANSING THAT PRECEDES REFORM. SHORT-

TERM NICETIES MUST YIELD TO LONG-RANGE

NECESSITY. MOALS WILL BE REVISED TO

MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF TODAY.

MEANINGLESS PLATITUDES WILL BE PULLED

FROM TONGUES AND MINDS. WORDS LIKE

PURGE AND EUTHANASIA DESERVE NEW

CONNOTATIONS. THEY SHOULD BE

RECOGNIZED AS THE RATIONAL PUBLIC

POLICIES THEY ARE. THE GREATEST DANGER

IS NOT EXCESSIVE ZEAL BUT UNDUE

HESITATION. WE WILL LEARN TO IMITATE

NATURE. HER KILLS NOURISH STRONG LIFE.

SQUEAMISHNESS IS THE CRIME.

---

(1982)

DESTROY SUPERABUNDANCE. STARVE THE

FLESH, SHAVE THE HAIR, EXPOSE THE BONE,

CLARIFY THE MIND, DEFINE THE WILL,

RESTRAIN THE SENSES, LEAVE THE FAMILY,

FLEE THE CHURCH, KILL THE VERMIN,

VOMIT THE HEART, FORGET THE DEAD,

LIMIT TIME, FORGO AMUSEMENT, DENY

NATURE, REJECT ACQUAINTANCES,

DISCARD OBJECTS, FORGET TRUTHS,

DISSECT MYTH, STOP MOTION, BLOCK

IMPULSE, CHOCKE SOBS, SWALLOW CHATTER.

SCORN JOY, SCORN TOUCH, SCORN

TRAGEDY, SCORN LIBERTY, SCORN

CONSTANCY, SCORN HOPE, SCORN

EXALTATION, SCORN REPRODUCTION,

SCORN VARIETY, SCORN EMBELLISHMENT,

SCORN RELEASE, SCORN REST, SCORN

SWEETNESS, SCORN THE LIGHT. IT IS A

QUESTION OF FORM AND FUNCTION. IT IS

A MATTER OF REVULSION.

History: 

Inflammatory essay, street installation, Toronto, 1979-81

Truisms and Inflammatory Essays, Poster project, A Space, Toronto, (mid-November 1982 and early July 1983)

Document(s): 

Jenny Holzer: Signs

Simon, Joan, Bruce Ferguson (1988).  Jenny Holzer: Signs. Londres : Institute of Contemporary Arts in Association with Art Data, p. 103

The Venice Installation

Holzer, Jenny (1990).  The Venice Installation. New York : K.L.Spaulding, p. 46

Jenny Holzer

Town, Elke (1983).  Jenny Holzer. Parachute. no. 31, p. 51-52

Jenny Holzer

Waldman, Diane (1989).  Jenny Holzer. New York : Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, p. 116

Jenny Holzer: Writing=Schriften

Smolik, Noemi (1996).  Jenny Holzer: Writing=Schriften. Ostfildern-Ruit : Cantz, p. 134