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IT TAKES A WHILE BEFORE YOU CAN STEP OVER INERT BODIES AND GO AHEAD WITH WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO DO.from The Living Series

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IT TAKES A WHILE BEFORE YOU CAN STEP OVER INERT BODIES AND GO AHEAD WITH WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO DO.from The Living Series
Jenny Holzer
1989
granite


"For The Living Series I [used] a moderate, average voice and language because I thought that would match the subject, which was everyday events that just happened to have some kind of kink to them. The writing described these events and then offered some sociopolitical observations or absurdities."--Jenny Holzer

Artist Jenny Holzer has been using words in her art since the mid-1970s. For the work Selections from the Living Series, she engraved a different message on each of the twenty-eight white granite benches. The provocative messages are often contradictory and do not necessarily reflect the artist's own opinion. Holzer's installation offers visitors a place to rest as they think about what they have read and the role that language plays in contemporary society. The benches are arranged in a square, allowing this part of the Garden to be used for performances or other events. These benches are just one way Holzer has presented her words in public spaces. She has also made posters and stickers, and has used electronic sign boards and the Internet to display her text-based artworks.



Text Citation
Text for Jenny Holzer, Selections from the Living Series (1989), from the curriculum guide The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden: A Garden for All Seasons, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, 1998.
Object Details
Dimensions:  overall 17.25 x 36 x 18 inches
Edition:  3/3
Classification:  Sculptures; Sculpture
Physical Description:  bench with engraving on the seat
Owner:  Walker Art Center
Accession Number:  1993.99
Credit Line:  Anonymous gift from a local resident with appreciation for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and contemporary art, 1993