The Argument for Twitter: the Fake Jenny Holzers

I recall an article about Twitter in the Times by Maureen Down. Maybe a year ago. Maybe less. Dowd, a bonafide member of the literati, descended upon Twitter's offices in San Francisco to take its creators to task. In the end, she praised Biz Stone and Evan Williams for their smarts yet scolded them for their anti-practical creation, like a school marm scrunching her nose at a prank pulled off cleverly by class clowns.

Regarding Twitter, it's a convenient pose to strike, reclining against the downfall of Western civilization with skeptically crossed arms. It's also one that I'm comfortable in... yet I still check my Twitter account once a day (posting quotes from Once Upon a Time In the West, natch). Why?

Exhibit A: Jenny Holzer(s).


From Jenny Holzer's instillation at the Whitney Museum

Holzer is a conceptual artist best known for projecting aphorisms - PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT, I NEED TO LIE BACK TO FRONT WITH SOMEONE WHO ADORES ME - into public space, often with the use of large LED screens.

Holzer has employed several different mediums besides LED screens over the course of her career. The medium, however, isn't important; throwing phrases in our faces that make us think is.

But the one medium Holzer hasn't employed is Twitter. Yet there http://twitter.com/jennyholzer is, launching Holzer-like phrases into the internet ether... with 14,420 followers to boot.

Quite simply, authentic or not, it's hilarious.

ABSTRACTION IS A TYPE OF DECADENCE (8:11 PM Feb 16th, 2010)
PEOPLE ARE BORING UNLESS THEY ARE EXTREMISTS (12:02 PM Sep 25th, 2009)
THE FUTURE IS STUPID (1:28 PM Apr 29th, 2008)
NOISE CAN BE HOSTILE (6:17 PM Jan 20th, 2008)
FREEDOM IS A LUXURY NOT A NECESSITY (1:02 AM Sep 3rd, 2007)
BEING ALONE WITH YOURSELF IS INCREASINGLY UNPOPULAR (2:10 PM Jun 19th, 2007)

Some of the tweets are taken from Holzer's work, perhaps all are. And if harmlessly impersonating a well known artist isn't internetty enough for you, there are, of course, deliberate imposters gleefully sending up Holzer's style.

fake jenny holzer:

SOCIOPATHS NEED HUGS TOO (5:58 PM Jun 6th, 2009)
LACK OF FATALITY CAN BE CHARISMATIC (6:19 AM May 19th, 2009)
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT (1:45 PM Mar 22nd, 2009)

Not Jenny Holzer:

THE CLUTCH BAG IS A DEBILITATING INCONVENIENCE TO BOTH GENDERS (4:44 PM Feb 12th, 2010)
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF LATVIA (10:41 AM Dec 24th, 2009)
HUMANS ARE NOT ENTITLED TO SNOWSHOES (9:00 PM Dec 6th, 2009)
SOYBEANS ARE HONORARY MAMMALS (10:48 PM Nov 30th, 2009)
POSITIVITY IS BAD IN THE MEDICAL SENSE (11:36 PM Nov 29th, 2009)
MARINATION IS A FORM OF COERCION (9:42 AM Nov 29th, 2009)

Logging in to missives from multiple Jenny Holzers side-by-side is, as you can guess, the cat's pajamas. Early morning, December 15th, 2009:

jennyholzer: EXTREME BEHAVIOR HAS ITS BASIS IN PATHOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY (1:49 AM)
notjennyholzer: CHEESE IS A CELEBRATED MISTAKE (8:03 PM Dec 14th, 2009)

It's not art. And like art no one ever sounded like anything but an ass claiming its usefulness to society. It is, at least, inspired... and hilarious.
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Cian O'Day