Jenny Holzers Untitled | Analysis

Jenny Holzers Untitled | Analysis Erin Brubaker Fig. 1. Jenny Holzer, Untitled. 1989,16 x 162 x 6 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.   Untitled is a piece of art by Jenny Holzer that was located in the main lobby of the Solomon R. Guggenheim museum in 1989. Selections of phrases are presented in LED lights that follow the spiral ramp, drawing the eye gradually upwards. Constantly moving and changing, the sentences are presented in a variety of colors and fonts in all capital letters. On the floor below are marble benches arranged in a circle which have additional phrases etched into them. From every angle, the viewer is given a new statement to read. The phrases Holzer included make stances about several areas of interest, for example political, social, and personal. In figure 1, the top level of electronic text reads PRIVATE PROPERTY CREATED CRIME. This sentence exemplifies her style of writing, which involves making bold claims that are a matter of opinion. Holzers writings, as well as the materials she uses to present them, are designed to make the viewer react strongly, causing them to call into question what is presented to them as truth on a daily basis. Holzer uses her materials to make a comparison to the media. By using LED lights as her method of expressing her writing, Holzer shows that her message is for the public. LEDs are familiar to most people because we see them in everyday life. In cities they are used to display the names of hotels, restaurants, casinos, and other businesses. They can also be found on buildings to inform breaking news, or advertise products. Viewers can react to her phrases similarly to the way they would react to a headline news story. Underneath the LEDs are seventeen marble benches with her texts etched on the tops and sides of them. The benches contrast the LED boards because instead constantly changing; they are static and have a sense of permanence. While the physical structures Holzer uses are important, the messages written on them are what Holzer uses to provoke further thought. The content of Holzers work is significant because it provokes thought. Her piece in the Guggenheim included texts from several of her past collections of writings. The collections she chose from were Truisms, Inflammatory Essays, The Living Series, The Survival Series, Under a Rock, and Laments. Truisms, which she wrote in the late 1970s, is a body of one-liners, slogans, and aphorisms. The stances they take are difficult to categorize because it seems like they come from a variety of perspectives. The intentions of the Truisms are not clear, but they all act to surprise the reader. For example, MONEY CREATES TASTE and AN ELITE IS INEVITABLE are thought provoking, but do not demand action from the reader. This aspect of her work will change in later writings. Holzers next body of writing was called Inflammatory Essays. In this series, her phrases were more forceful and assertive than Truisms. The essays are aggressive from beginning to end, and are sequences of private thought. At times her statements contradict each other, for example the beginning of one of her essays reads DONT TALK DOWN TO ME. DONT BE POLITE TO ME. According to Terry Barrett, The essays show how language, truth, force, and power can pervert each other (Barrett 1994, 60). In other words, this way of writing serves to confuse the reader, and possibly make them question what is presented to them as truth. The difference between Truisms and her later collections Living and Survival is that the intentions of her work become clearer. Although the texts in these series do not have a unifying purpose, many of them act to advertise, instruct, or cause emotional reactions. Several phrases in Survival provoke fear and uncertainty. For instance, THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR WILL BE SECRET, and YOU ARE TRAPPED ON THIS EARTH SO YOU WILL EXPLODE suggest that the future will be dangerous. Under a rock is written from the perspective of someone who has experienced or witnessed dark crimes, such as murder and terrorism. The collection is made up of gory and disturbing descriptions that involve pain. This is a similar theme to her other collection, Laments. Laments is Holzers most political collection of phrases. For this series, she uses her imagination to create voices for innocent lives lost in the AIDS epidemic happening at the time. According to Paula Geyh, In Laments, Holzer sought to give voice to the final thoughts of the dead, to give them a chance to say what they couldnt say(Geyh 2002, 178). It is significant that this is her first series in which she uses the pronoun I. Instead of writing from an outsiders perspective, this series is much more based on an individual. She used her anger about the death toll of the disease to make a political statement that there was no good reason for that many people to die. Untitled at the Guggenheim was a display of language that publicized Holzers private thought. She demonstrates a variety of perspectives in her writing that details the human condition. Her materials she used to present her writing gave her work a sense of importance to the public. The exhibit was designed to provoke thought and emotions. The unifying theme in all of the texts that are a part of Holzers exhibit is that they impose reactions on the viewer, making them rethink what they believe to be truth. Word count: 893 References Barrett, Terry. 1994. Criticizing Art: Understanding the Contemporary. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company. Geyh, Paula. 2002. Postmodernism: The Key Figures. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. Holzer, Jenny. 1989. Untitled. Reproduced in Davies, Penelope J.E., Denny, Walter B., Hofrichter, Frima F., Jacobs, Joseph F., Roberts, Ann S., Simon, David L. 2014. Jansons History of Art, 8th Edition, Volume 2. Pearson.

Liberty Bell Essays -- essays research papers

Among the more obscure events in American history involves the Liberty Bell's travels by rail car around the United States to be placed on exhibit at numerous World's Fairs. From 1885 to 1915, the Liberty Bell traveled by rail on seven separate trips to eight different World's Fair exhibitions visiting nearly 400 cities and towns on those trips coast to coast. At the time, the Liberty Bell's trips were widely publicized so that each town where the Liberty Bell train stopped was well prepared for their venerable guest. Each stop on the way to the host World's Fair exhibition lasted anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. The Liberty Bell was nearly always met with military salutes, parades, patriotic music and throngs of cheering men, women and children. In 1873, Philadelphian Henry Seybert donated to the City of Philadelphia a new bell and a large clock for tower of Independence Hall. Seybert commissioned the Meneely and Kimberly Bell Foundry to cast the bell and have it installed in the steeple by July 4, 1876 in time to usher in the Centennial anniversary celebration. The bell was cast using a mixture of 80% copper and 20% tin with the addition of one hundred pounds each of four cannons - a British and American cannon from the battle of Saratoga and a Union and Confederate cannon from the battle of Gettysburg. The bell weighs 13,000 pounds representing 1,000 pounds for each of the 13 original states and bears the following inscriptions: Around the crown: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men - Luke, chapter II, verse 14." Around the lip: " Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof - Leviticus, chapter XXV, verse 10." Upon one side of the of the bell is cast - "Presented to the city of Philadelphia, July 4, 1876, for the belfry of Independence Hall, by a citizen." On the opposite side is the date "1776" and the coat of arms of the United States set in a shield containing 13 stars. I... ...;. Unfortunately, the fair was not a tremendous success due to low attendance - only 10 million of the expected 50 million visitors attended. Attributing to low attendance was the rain that was present on more than half the days the fair was open. While the Liberty Bell remained in its home in Independence Hall not far from the fairgrounds its image was used repeatedly as a symbol of the Exposition. The Liberty Bell had long since come to represent liberty and freedom for the United States and using its image on Exposition souvenirs was ideal in light of the fair's theme - our nation's 150th birthday. In 1950, the United States Department of the Treasury assisted by several private companies selected a foundry in Annecy-le-Vieux, France to cast 55 full-sized replicas of the Liberty Bell. The bells were shipped as gifts to states and territories of the United States and the District of Columbia to be displayed and rung on patriotic occasions. This was part of a savings bond drive held from May 15 to July 4, 1950 with the slogan "Save for Your Independence."

Heavenly Creatures Film Analysis Essay

Heavenly Creatures is based on a true story about two teenage girls who murder one of their mothers in Christchurch, New Zealand. The film, directed by Sir Peter Jackson, uses many techniques in the opening scene to efficiently show how vital this scene is to the film. These techniques include a documentary clip, costume, cinematography and sound. In the beginning of the opening scene, a documentary clip is used to introduce us to the town of Christchurch, New Zealand. The director uses this to show us how seemingly perfect the town of Christchurch was. In the clip it includes appealing imagery of flowers, gardens, lakes and schools. Accompanied with joyful music, Christchurch is presented to be the idyllic town. Described as a â€Å"quiet haven,† the audience become aware of how unlikely and implausible it would have been at the time for two teenage girls to commit a brutal murder against one of their mothers. The clip is used to create juxtaposition and shock the audience and to illustrate how alarming it would have been in the 1950’s for a murder of this nature to have occurred. Jackson wanted us to see the situation through the eyes of the people of Christchurch in the 1950’s – it would have been completely out of character for their town, causing quite a scandal. Therefore the media, at the time, would have had a field day. The media were quick to accuse the girls of being â€Å"lesbian school girl killers,† the girls became far more outcast than they already were. They were essentially the villains of the town. Jackson said up until the murder, he had tried to portray the girls from a sympathetic point of view. They were misunderstood creatures, exiled from their peers. The cinematography is used very effectively in the opening scene of â€Å"Heavenly Creatures.† An example of cinematography in the scene is when we see shots of the girls’ legs running up a path. They are covered in blood and screaming. This is paralleled with another shot of the girls’ legs, but this time they are running towards Juliet’s parents, on a boat. The next shot shows the girls both yelling â€Å"Mummy† as they get closer to Juliet’s mother. These shots show the girls are running from reality to fantasy. The fantasy scene where they are running towards Juliet’s mother shows that the girls desired to be sisters. Pauline would have done anything to be a part of the Hulme family, including killing her own mother. The  director wanted the audience to see how much of an intense relationship Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker had- they killed someone in an attempt to stay together. The black and white colouring on the boat scene represents the girls’ fantasy, and how it was not real. The director also uses establishing shots to introduce us to the two main characters. We see Pauline exit from a shed-like house and jump down from over a fence. Her hair is unkempt, and she seems to be unhappy. Later in the scene when Pauline has arrived at school, there is a tracking shot of her walking down a school corridor. She seems awkward, and as she walks past her school peers she seems outcast. When people greet her, she would half-heartedly reply. The director wants us to see that Pauline does not come from a rich family, and to show she is quite different than the rest of her peers. Juliet, however, is first introduced with a shot of her travelling in a flash car, and later an establishing shot of her with her perfectly tidy hair and uniform as she is being introduced to the French class. The director shows that she comes from a wealthy and respectable background. When Juliet outsmarts the French teacher and is not afraid to speak up for herself, the audience is shown that Juliet, as well as Pauline, stands out from the rest of the class. The girls together were outsiders, and became fast friends because of this. Costume is also used skilfully in â€Å"Heavenly Creatures.† In the majority of the opening scene we see the girls, Pauline and Juliet, dressed in their identical school uniforms. As the school gathers for their morning assembly, they sing school hymns. High angle shots show all the girls in their identical uniforms and haircuts. The director wants us to realise that in a girl’s school in the 1950s, individuality was not widely accepted. The girls were expected to be well behaved, polite and obliging. Every girl is the scene is singing and looking relatively happy – except for Pauline. Though she is dressed correctly from top to toe in he r black leather shoes and white socks, her blue school-girl uniform dress and her short hair, Pauline stands out from the crowd. She is not singing the hymn and looks bored and sullen. Her hair is also far more dark and unruly than the rest of the girls around her. The director wants to show that Pauline is not just the average school girl, and she detests being in unison with everyone else, as she desires to be unique. Pauline and Juliet both had the desire to be unique, to stand out from the crowd with their own ideas and  own opinions, but that was not socially acceptable in their society or school. People, including the girls’ own family looked down on them for creating their fantasies and imaginary worlds. They did not fit in with their society in the 1950s. Expertly crafted in the â€Å"Heavenly Creatures† opening scene is the soundtrack. During the documentary clip, the music playing is cheerful and happy. This is because the clip is showing Christchurch to be a beautiful and harmonious place. The music helps to create the illusion that everything in the world of Christchurch is perfect. But as the scene transitions from the documentary clip to the actual story line, the music becomes dark and almost menacing. The director uses this to show that Christchurch is hiding a daunting side to it; this side involves deluded and murderous young girls. The music also creates tension which could be linked to how the outside world of Christchurch at the time were feeling – the shock of the murder case was startling, and the audience lives this too, through use of music. The director also wants to see past what Christchurch looks like on the outside, and realise that underneath, the town has damaged and scared parts, just as every other town does. The town of Christchurch has both good and bad people who do good and bad things. The harmonious music and the dark music is a way of symbolising the town and the people who live in it.

Essay on Thomas Jefferson A Controversial Man - 1785 Words

Most people only know Thomas Jefferson as the third President of the United States but he was much more than that. Thomas Jefferson was a very controversial man. From his work as a Founding Father to the mysteries of his personal life, Americans continue to find him to be very intriguing. He challenged the way the government was run previously by the first two presidents and became an advocate for the people. This paper talks about Jefferson’s role as a leader during the creation of the Declaration of Independence, his life before he became well-known, and the controversies related to his relationship with his slave named Sally Hemings. Thomas Jefferson was one of the most famous of the Founding Fathers of the†¦show more content†¦Around this time, disagreements began and people had different viewpoints on how the country should be run. Two political parties formed, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. This was the time when the government was being develop ed. People were just figuring out what party they wanted to be a part of, and who they did not care for. Thomas Jefferson helped reshape the government before he was even elected President. He â€Å"promoted religious freedom, helping to establish the countrys separation between church and state, and he advocated free public education, an idea considered radical by his contemporaries† (Millercenter web). He was also a delegate for the Virginia House of Delegates and later became the governor of Virginia for two years (Millercenter web). Jefferson influenced the way people thought about the relationship between the government and the lives of citizens. His beliefs challenged the government’s role established by the Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson was elected the third President of the United States in 1801. On Inauguration Day, he broke tradition and rode on a single horse by riding to and from the ceremony by himself (Crawford 16). 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