Holzer, Jenny

born July 29, 1950, Gallipolis, Ohio, U.S.

U.S. conceptual artist.

She studied at Duke University, the University of Chicago, and the Rhode Island School of Design. In the late 1970s she became involved with conceptual art and with artists known for their "word art," which involved the display of words and text instead of visual images. In the late 1970s she began to display her "truisms," slogans and brief confrontational statements, usually containing political or social critique, that she printed on posters and flyers and posted throughout Manhattan. In the 1980s and '90s she displayed her messages on LED (light-emitting diode) signs, the medium with which she is most associated, in venues such as Times Square. Like most of her oeuvre, these works were meant to confront the viewer and elicit debate or discussion.

* * *