Holzer, Jenny | Inflammatory Essays 5, 1979-82 — available on Composition Gallery

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Mini Electric LED Sign with Diodes in Colors.

Jenny Holzer’s Inflammatory Essays 5 (1979–82) exemplifies her provocative use of text and technology to confront viewers with urgent, confrontational ideas. This miniature LED sign, measuring 4 x 4.75 inches, uses red, yellow, and black diodes to display scrolling text excerpts from her larger Inflammatory Essays project. Originally wheat-pasted in public spaces, these texts—radical, ambiguous, and politically charged—find a new context in this compact electronic format. The LED format underscores Holzer’s focus on mass communication, control, and the intersection between propaganda and poetry.

Jenny Holzer (United States, 1950) is an American conceptual artist renowned for her text-based works that challenge societal norms and provoke thought. Utilizing mediums like LED displays, projections, and installations, she presents powerful messages in public spaces, addressing themes such as power, violence, and oppression. Holzer's art transforms language into a visual experience, engaging audiences worldwide.

Jenny Holzer

Inflammatory Essays 5, 1979-82

Name: Inflammatory Essays 5, 1979-82
SKU: 16476

Form

Sculpture / Object

Sculpture / ObjectA sculpture is a three-dimension object made using any one of the basic sculpting processes. These include carving, casting, constructing or modeling. Carving materials may be bone, ivory, stone or wood. Modeling and casting use clay or wax, while constructions glue materials together.

Medium

Mixed Media

Mixed MediaMixed media refers to artwork that incorporates more than one medium within a single piece. Unlike multimedia art, which combines distinct forms of visual art and often includes elements like sound, video, or digital media, mixed media focuses on combining traditional art materials, such as paint, ink, and collage. Mixed media art allows artists to achieve a wide range of effects and textures by layering and blending different materials.

Edition

Edition of 100

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●Inventory 16476

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Mini Electric LED Sign with Diodes in Colors.

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Currently Not Available

No sold works to show.

Protect me from what I want.
- Jenny Holzer

Jenny Holzer belongs to the neo-conceptual school of artists. Text is the basis for her work. With her first celebrated series, entitled “Truisms”, which began in 1977, she plastered Times Square and lower Manhattan with photostats of hand-typed one-liners intended to amuse, provoke and entertain. At a time when New York was going through a transitional time of rising crime, skyrocketing prices, and high unemployment, Holzer brought art out of the gallery and onto the street.

Holzer’s art was always directed to the common person, the individual strolling down the street or looking up at a billboard. The messages varied from quirky phrases to serious, thought-provoking statements concerning timely topics.

In addition to print art, Jenny Holzer employed LED lights, Neon Signs, and scrolling marquees during her most prolific period the late 1970s and early 1980s.
“Truisms” can still be found widely distributed with Holzer’s messages printed on ball caps, tee shirts, and posters.

Artwork by Tracey Emin

What is feminist art?

Feminist art refers to the art that emerged from the feminist art movement during the 1960s and 1970s. It developed with the intention of critiquing 20th-century gender ideals and challenging the traditional canon of art history. Feminist art seeks to create a dialogue between the artwork and the viewer through a feminist lens, often addressing issues of gender, identity, and social justic

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Jenny Holzer

Inflammatory Essays 5, 1979-82

10.2 x 12.1 x 3.8 cm

Language & Currency

Jenny Holzer