Jenny Holzer / Stephen Prina / Mark Stahl / Christopher Williams

‘Analyzing structures that determine our daily experiences is not an activity exclusive to artists. More often it is scientists or journalists who undertake this task. When a visual artist concerns himself with a subject such as this he usually deals with the perception of the visual world, and only rarely with socio-political implications. In the latter case the artist tends to analyze the museum situation, the gallery circuit or the reception of art. That implies a specific way of looking at the functioning of visual art and of visual communication in general. When Coosje van Bruggen, a Dutch art historian who lives in New York, came forward with a proposal to mount an exhibition on this kind of subject, Het Gewad in Gent and De Appel in Amsterdam were immediately interested. Stephen Prina, Mark Stahl and Chris Williams, three artists from Los Angeles, will be presented here, together with Jenny Holzer, an artist from New York who has shown her work in Europe before, and with whom De Appel recently realized a project via Amsterdam's cable tv. What exactly constitutes the relationship between these four artists comes to the fore in the personal commentary of our "guest curator". Suffice it here to point to the emphasis on non-expressive, seemingly objective forms and techniques which are typical of many contemporary American artists, and to the use of reproduction, presentation forms and "display". The term "mise-en-scène" is heard quite a lot in Europe nowadays, but the idea of "display" has nothing to do with a theatrical approach. The analysis aimed at here is the comparison of presentations of works of art and culture with advertizing and promotion techniques. "Pre-existing imagery", existing sign languages and codes are the material with which these artists work : the underlying structure is what they are looking for. Mark Stahl writes that he decided against enlarging his photos for Car Crash because he did not want to apply the same falsifications as the photographers who win awards. Stephen Prina analyzes system and measure within the presentation, in his search for measurable standards. Jenny Holzer chooses alphabetical or other objective orders for her Truisms, which are presented by preference, in public situations. Chris Williams is concerned directly with the sales methods adopted by the city in which he exhibits. De Appel is therefore grateful for the temporary use of exhibition spaces such as that of Rob Klaasman and Pieter Kottman at Keizersgracht 431, and of the electronic sign and the display windows of the AKO news stand at the Central Station. Het Gewad will present the total concept within its own spaces, and shows works that are different from those in Amsterdam in form, but similar in intention. By way of a reaction from Holland we have opted for inviting three Amsterdam visual artists (Barbara Bloom, Niek Kemps and Hans Koetsier) to design a poster. These posters will be on view in the city during the presentations. A panel discussion with the artists in Amsterdam will clarify the project for a larger public. (Saskia Bos, ‘Introduction’, Gewad / De Appel. Jenny Holzer / Stephen Prina / Mark Stahl / Christopher Williams, Amsterdam (De Appel) / Ghent (Het Gewad vzw) 1984/1985, p. 2.)