Certainly Sex

JENNY HOLZER (B. 1950)

Certainly Sex

stamped with artist’s initials and number 'JH 2249.10/15' (lower edge of frame)

etched glass mirror in artist's metal frame

36 1/4 x 24 1/2 inches (92.1 x 62.2 cm)

Executed in 2018. This work is number 10 from an edition of 15 plus 5 artist’s proofs.

Text from Philip Johnson: Architect in His Own Words by Hilary Lewis and John O'Connor ©1994. Used with permission. © 2018 Jenny Holzer.

Published by The Glass House, Connecticut.

PROVENANCE:

Acquired directly from the publisher by the present owner

NOTES:

Born in Ohio in 1950, Jenny Holzer is a leading figure of the 20th-century conceptual art movement, known for her provocative use of language in public and architectural space. In Certainly Sex, Holzer’s sharp, declarative text from architect and art patron Philip Johnson carved into a mirror continues her exploration of power, vulnerability and human desire. The work reflects the influence of her early “Truisms” series, using concise, charged statements to confront viewers with uncomfortable truths. Holzer’s texts have been famously projected onto iconic structures, this work having been produced for Philip Johnson’s Glass House, where the transparency and fragility of the building amplify her messages about exposure and intimacy.