Kelly Bacherman

ENC 2135

29 January 2017

How does Jenny Holzers Work Define Genre? : A Genre Analysis of Truisms

A piece of media cannot be defined

solely by one genre. The word genre does

not just apply you text, or writing. This term

may also be applied to other topics, including

films, music, and visual art. Jenny Holzers

artwork falls under many different genres.

Not only is this text art, but also installation

art. The artifact, as an image could be

considered political and minimalistic. Genre

is a way of categorizing different types of

communication. Many characteristics of

Jenny Holzers artworks can be used to

define its several genres.

The audience of this piece is difficult to determine. This piece is in a public place in what

seems to be an urban area. Many people would walk past this sign. Unlike traditional visual arts

that would be displayed in a gallery or museum, people do not have to specifically intend to go

see this piece. Although many different people would be viewing this sign on a daily basis, those

people are not necessarily the intended audience. The intended audience for this piece would

be people that have opinions about low income and under appreciated jobs. People that are in
these jobs, like artists, have more of an appreciation for this text art. In contrast, higher paying,

white-collar employees look down on others that are not as successful or well-off. This piece of

art is sending a message to them, as most of Holzers other works tend to do. The intended

audience of this artwork supports the idea that this artwork could fall under the political genre. A

liberal statement is being made and directed to this audience. The fact that this particular

artwork is found in an urban environment adds to the meaning, as it shows that the text is being

directed to these higher income workers.

The audience for this artifact as an image could be different, though. This image is

heavily circulated throughout social media sites. Much of Jenny Holzers work has become well

recognized through this. Feminist blogs and other open-minded social media accounts have

published this image, along with other pieces of this artists text. For this image, the audience is

clear. It is an inspiration to those in low-income jobs. Artists and free spirits would appreciate

this text.

This leads us into the purpose of the piece. The purpose of this artifact is to make

people think, and send a message to the intended audience. No matter who it is directed at, it

can make everyone feel something. This is shown in the intended audience. The artwork is

shown to people of many different classes or levels of status. This fact demonstrates the way

that her piece can send a message to anyone. The image itself is heavily circulated throughout

the internet. Since it has become popular on social media sites, and advertised by liberal blogs,

more people have been able to see the artifact. These methods of circulation add to the

purpose of the image, since it also expands its audience. The purposes of this artifact help to

determine the genres. Since the purpose is not only for the piece to stand as a piece of art, but

also to communicate a message, it shows strong evidence of Holzer touching on the political

genre.
 To determine the genres of text art and installation art, style can play in. The style refers

to the way the media is presented. The individual techniques and detail that Jenny Holzer uses

clearly classifies this as text art. Nearly all of her work falls in this genre. This work, however

slightly strays from the conventions of text art. While her quote is well thought out and qualifies

for this genre, the way it is displayed in the image can contrast the ideals of text art. Installation

art is artwork that is displayed in an untraditional environment. The image shows that Holzers

piece is on the front a movie theatre sign in a city. This can be considered in style, since it is the

way the media is presented. This is untraditional, as it is not being displayed in an art gallery.

The design, similar to the style focuses on the composition of the subject. This shows

how the artwork could be categorized as minimalistic. The conventions of minimalistic art

include extreme simplification, and only including essential forms in a piece of art. The text in

the image itself is the art. This conforms to the conventions of minimalistic art since the only

visual aspects included are necessary to understand the piece. No excess is added. The image

itself, however, would not be considered minimalist because of the environment it captures.

Context helps to back this up in many of the genres. Holzer is a previously established

artist and is well known for her other text artworks, such as Inflammatory Essays. This artifact is

actually a part of a larger project of hers called Truisms. In this project, she publishes lists of her

controversial quotes. They typically address social issues like feminism, equality, and status. By

using her voice as an artist to make a statement, it shows, yet agin, the political side of the

image. Validating this installation piece with her other projects, it help helps to categorize it as

text art, installation art and minimalistic art as well. Her works are legitimate, as she is renowned

and well-known. This also connects with the ethos of the artwork, since it is showing her

credibility as an artist.

The constrains and affordances of using this artifact to prove the definition of the term

genre vary. Some constrains and limitations that came up were the fact that this is an image,
rather than a piece of writing. With text, I feel that it would have been easier to apply the

characteristics of genre to the subject. For example, rhetorical appeals are not really applicable

in this area. Along with this, sources cannot really be looked at since the artwork does not rely

on fact, or reliability, as most non-fiction writing does.

Affordances of using this artifact as an example include personal interest in the topic, as

well as the number of genres it could fit under. This image, in particular can be considered for

multiple genres, as highlighted previously. The message of the artifact can place it in political

and minimalistic genres. However, the visual aspects of it would categorize it into the genres of

installation art and text art.

Genre, as a function, is also important. When looking at the genre of any type of media,

it tells you much more than the topic of it. Whether it be text, film, music, or visual art, the genre

can inform. Many characteristics play in when determining the genre. According to the Bedford

Book of Genres, purpose, context, audience, rhetorical appeals, modes and media, elements of

the genre, style, and design all play a role when considering the genres. By knowing the

category that the media falls under, we can also know some of the other characteristics of the

subject. Genre also gives us the ability to understand subtext. Underlying themes that are not

first apparent to the audience can be noted when the genre is determined. For example, this

artifact does not mean anything until the political genre is visible. After this, the audience can

find the underlying message in the work. This is why genre can be useful when analyzing any

media forms.

Jenny Holzers works are an ideal example of mixing genres. The many conventions of

the term genre can be analyzed. The determination of the works audience, style, design, and

context of the artifact help with this.

 Rhetorical Rationale

In writing this essay, I experienced many obstacles and limitations. For example,

addressing the so-what factor in my essay was particularly difficult for me. However, in our in-

class workshop, my classmates helped me to determine this. The genres of a piece of media

give the audience the ability to understand subtext. Some revisions that also helped me were to

go more in depth about the style and context of my chosen artifact. Along with this, it was noted

that I should mention the conventions of the genres I am holding my artifact to, and discuss the

ways the artifact conforms to or strays from these. This added more solidity to the arguments of

my writing. Another problem I had with this project was the title of my essay. Originally, I kept the

title in line with the title of my artifact, Everyones Work is Equally Important. In class, we

discussed the steps to writing an appropriate title. It was mentions that a title should do two

things: tell us what the essay is about, and tell us what the essay is going to do. The previous

title of my essay did not contain either of these key elements. My current title, How does Jenny

Holzers Work Define Genre? : A Genre Analysis of Truisms gives better insight as to what my

writing will be about. In my proposal, I thought only to mention the genres of political and

installation art. As the writing process continued, I realized several other genres could describe

my artifact. These included the genres of minimalistic art, as well as text art. Adding them into

my draft was not difficult, since they all strongly relate to the artwork. Throughout my writing

process, I listed out main points that could be used to determine the genres. Using the Bedford

Book, I was able to narrow these down to the audience, style, design, purpose and context of

the piece. By analyzing these characteristics of the artifact, it helped to determine the genres.

This ties back to the so-what factor of my writing.

 Works Cited

Braziller, Amy, and Elizabeth Kleinfeld. The Bedford Book of Genres: A Guide. Boston: Bedford/

St Martin's, 2014. Print.