Jenny Holzer and Martin Firrell

You Are My Own 1996

Jenny Holzer is known mostly for her large scale projections, focusing her work on the use of words in public spaces. She often wrote her own text but then started to use other peoples, before using secret US army documents exposing American soldiers human rights violations. Her work often speak of violence, oppression, sexuality, feminism, power, war and death. Bringing light to something which is hidden, yet remaining silent.

I love her sense of fearlessness. And her ability to exposing horrid information in such a beautiful way. The scale of her work adds impact to the harrowing words that are shown making the piece more and more powerful. It is the simplicity of the plain white text against the beautiful buildings that she chooses. And when she is not exposing information it is her choice of text which speaks for itself. She picks sentences which hundreds of people can take something from. I also appreciate her use of public spaces, taking art outside of the gallery and giving it to the everyday person. Her use of space questions just who should art be for much like her questioning of what information should be kept from the public.

I would like to create work using Holzer's projection style, however im afraid that my initail thoughts of using Wikileaks information would just be too simular to her own work.

Martin Firrell's work is also very simular to Holzers as they both use public spaces, text and the use of projections to create public debate. Firrell focuses on the power of ideas and tries to create a positive social change. I get the sense that Firrell is much more passionate about why he is creating his work and the statements that he reveals. Which makes me question my own level of passion towards certain ideas. I want to find a avenue which I am also as passionate about as I can see the difference it makes to a persons work. He also makes me question what reaction do I want to prevoke within society? Do I want to make people think? How will the text that I reveal make people feel? Do I want it to create a positive feeling or a negative?