Selflessness is the Highest Achievement

Jenny Holzer’s art revolves around outspoken texts that inhabit posters and signs, namelessly disseminated through the city. The ungendered authority voice in her first written pieces, Truisms (1977-1987) Inflammatory Essays (1978-1982), allowed to avoid any associations with femininity as traditionally understood, fuelling passers-by's critical reflection. Later career, parallel efforts establish herself on a phallocentric scene, production found placement within more institutionalised museum contexts. Nonetheless, anonymity still remains constant work is thus not secondary outputs. Yet, most of time, this was partially overlooked by scholars favour different conceptualisations work. Hence, article aims bridge gap literature analysing how Holzer adopted voices from hers early stages career. goal understand rhetorical strategies she employed find place male-dominated world cityscape. By inquiring self-fashioning an unnamed identity, it will be remarked notion persona constantly evolving time space. It further argued appropriated authoritative far own, adapting them address public proposing gestures activism topical issues undoubtful relevance, directly intervening