fbpx
Jenny Holzer
I Am a Man, 1987

Artwork Info

Artwork title
I Am a Man
Artist name
Jenny Holzer
Date created
1987
Classification
installation
Medium
electronic LED and diodes
Dimensions
112 3/16 in. × 9 1/2 in. × 4 3/8 in. (284.96 cm × 24.13 cm × 11.11 cm)
Date acquired
1990
Credit
Collection SFMOMA
Accessions Committee Fund: gift of Collectors Forum, Shirley and Thomas Davis, Elaine McKeon, and Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Walker, Jr.
Copyright
© Jenny Holzer / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Permanent URL
https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/90.20
Artwork status
Not on view at this time.

Audio Stories

How has Holzer explored the power of words?

Show TranscriptHide Transcript

transcripts

NARRATOR:  

The signboard you see here, titled I Am a Man, was originally one element of a larger installation Jenny Holzer made in 1987. Two stone coffins were placed in a darkened room, each with a signboard at its head, almost like an electronic tombstone. The texts on each of the signs were meant to represent the last remarks of two dead people, a man and a woman. The man’s sign is the one you see here. These texts, which were written partly in response to the AIDS epidemic, were carved into the stone coffins as well. Gary Garrels, Curator at the Museum. 

 

GARY GARRELS:  

You have a signboard with this flickering, evanescent text that disappears in front of your eyes as you watch, which in a way is not unlike our own lives in those moments we reflect on the fleetingness of life. Holzer is an artist who thinks very much about the fragility of life, and I think that’s the essential part of this text: What does it mean to be mortal? 

 

NARRATOR:  

Since the late seventies, Holzer has explored the power of words, using the kind of blunt, yet poetic, phrases you see here. Her belief that the best art is effective in some way as social commentary has led her to use language directly, exploring its visual impact in a number of different ways.  

Read MoreCollapse

Español

普通话

Other Works by Jenny Holzer

See other works by Jenny Holzer

Please note that artwork locations are subject to change, and not all works are on view at all times. If you are planning a visit to SFMOMA to see a specific work of art, we suggest you contact us at collections@sfmoma.org to confirm it will be on view.

Only a portion of SFMOMA's collection is currently online, and the information presented here is subject to revision. Please contact us at collections@sfmoma.org to verify collection holdings and artwork information. If you are interested in receiving a high resolution image of an artwork for educational, scholarly, or publication purposes, please contact us at copyright@sfmoma.org.

This resource is for educational use and its contents may not be reproduced without permission. Please review our Terms of Use for more information.