Jenny Holzer

UNEX Sign #1 (Selections from The Survival Series)
1983, refabricated 2012

A digital display board with a message in bright white and green lights against a black background that reads "FINDING EXTREME PLEASURE WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON IF YOU'RE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THRILLS YOU." Red lights punctuate the display at various points.
A digital display board with a message in bright white and green lights against a black background that reads "FINDING EXTREME PLEASURE WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON IF YOU'RE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THRILLS YOU." Red lights punctuate the display at various points.

Not on view

Date
1983, refabricated 2012

Classification
Sculpture

Medium
LED sign in powder-coated aluminum housing

Dimensions
Overall: 31 1/8 × 106 × 12in. (79.1 × 269.2 × 30.5 cm)

Accession number
84.8

Edition
1/3 | 1 AP

Credit line
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from the Louis and Bessie Adler Foundation, Inc., Seymour M. Klein, President

Rights and reproductions
© Jenny Holzer / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

API
artworks/1370

Part of a series:
Studies for Unex Sign #1
23 works

A minimalist line drawing of a human figure in a horizontal flying pose with arms outstretched, resembling a superhero in flight, against a white background. The figure is drawn with simple black lines and is positioned above a stylized representation of a chair, also in black lines, suggesting the figure is levitating or flying above the chair.
Sketch of a stylized female face with prominent eyelashes and lips, wearing a ruffled collar or garment, drawn in black ink with purple accents on an off-white paper background.
Illustration of a fly with detailed wings and segmented body on a cream-colored background.
A simple line drawing of a clenched fist viewed from the side, with the thumb tucked in and visible above the fingers. The drawing is done in purple lines on a cream-colored background, and the cuff of the sleeve is filled in with black and purple colors. The paper appears slightly wrinkled or creased at the edges.
A sketch of a stylized profile of a face with prominent lines and angles, drawn in purple ink on a piece of paper with some creases and tape at the top. Handwritten notes and numbers are visible at the top edge of the paper.
A sketch of a reclining baby with exaggerated features drawn in bold, dark lines on a piece of paper. The baby's expression is peaceful, and the drawing is stylized with minimal detail. Handwritten notes on the right side of the paper suggest color details for a blue blanket with red where folds are. The number "#55" is also written near the bottom right corner.
A simplistic line drawing of a hand with fingers in a snapping position on a cream-colored paper background, with the paper appearing slightly torn at the top left corner and affixed with pieces of yellow tape on the top left and bottom right corners.
A minimalist line drawing of a hand with the index finger and thumb forming a circle on a cream-colored paper, with pieces of yellow tape on the edges.
A minimalist line drawing of a profile of a face on a cream-colored background. The artwork features bold black lines outlining the nose, lips, and chin, with a single eye depicted by a few curved lines and lashes. The drawing is abstract and expressive, with a focus on the contours of the facial features.
A sketch of a profile view of a person's face with exaggerated features, drawn in bold black lines on a white background. The image includes handwritten notes questioning the depiction of the eye, nose, and mouth.

Jenny Holzer
35 works in the collection

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