Could the ZooTV maxims have been inspired by this?

[foray]

This is an art work by Jenny Holzer whereby she displayed these "Truisms" on huge billboards, signs etc all over New York City, in the 80's. I love this work. Reminds me of Radiohead philosophies as well.

TRUISMS
1979-1983

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE CAN GO A LONG WAY


A LOT OF PROFESSIONALS ARE CRACKPOTS


A MAN CAN'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A MOTHER


A NAME MEANS A LOT JUST BY ITSELF


A POSITIVE ATTITUDE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD


A RELAXED MAN IS NOT NECESSARILY A BETTER MAN


A SENSE OF TIMING IS THE MARK OF A GENIUS


A SINCERE EFFORT IS ALL YOU CAN ASK


A SINGLE EVENT CAN HAVE INFINITELY MANY INTERPRETATIONS


A SOLID HOME BASE BUILDS A SENSE OF SELF


A STRONG SENSE OF DUTY IMPRISONS YOU


ABSOLUTE SUBMISSION CAN BE A FORM OF FREEDOM


ABSTRACTION IS A TYPE OF DECADENCE


ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE


ACTION CAUSES MORE TROUBLE THAN THOUGHT


ALIENATION PROCUES ECCENTRICS OR REVOLUTIONARIES


ALL THINGS ARE DELICATELY INTERCONNECTED


AMBITION IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS COMPLACENCY


AMBIVALENCE CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE


AN ELITE IS INEVITABLE


ANGER OR HATE CAN BE A USEFUL MOTIVATIVING FORCE


ANIMALISM IS PERFECTLY HEALTHY


ANY SURPLUS IS IMMORAL


ANYTHING IS A LEGITIMATE AREA OF IN VESTIGATION


ARTIFICIAL DESIRES ARE DESPOILING THE EARTH


AT TIMES INACTIVITY IS PREFERABLE TO MINDLESS FUNCTIONING


AT TIMES YOUR UNCONSCIOUS IS TRUER THAN YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND


AUTOMATION IS DEADLY


AWFUL PUNISHMENT AWAITS REALLY BAD PEOPLE


BAD INTENTIONS CAN YIELD GOOD RESULTS


BEING ALONE WITH YOURSELF IS INCREASINGLY UNPOPULAR


BEING HAPPY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE


BEING HONEST IS NOT ALWAYS THE K


INDEST WAY


BEING JUDGEMENTAL IS A SIGN OF LIFE


BEING SURE OF YOURSELF MEANS YOU'RE A FOOL


BELIEVING IN REBIRTH IS THE SAME AS ADMITTING DEFEAT


BOREDOM MAKES YOU DO CRAZY THINGS


CALM IS MORE CONDUCIVE TO CREATIVITY THAN IS ANXIETY


CATERGORIZING FEAR IS CALMING


CHANGE IS VALUABLE WHEN YHE OPRESSED BECOME THE TYRANTS


CHASING THE NEW IS DANGEROUS TO SOCIETY


CHILDREN ARE THE CRUELEST OF ALL


CHILDREN ARE THE HOPE OF THE FUTURE


CLASS ACTION IS A NICE IDEA WITH NO SUBSTANCE


CLASS STRUCTIURE IS AS ARTIFICIAL AS PLASTIC


CONFUSING YOURSELF IS A WAY TO STAY HONEST


CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY IS RELATIVELY UNIMPORTANT


DECADENCE CAN BE AN END IN ITSELF


DECENY IS A RELATIVE THING


DEPENDENCE CAN BE A MEAL TICKET


DESCRIPTION IS MORE VALUABLE THAN METAPHOR


DEVIANTS ARE SACRIFICED TO INCREASE GROUP SOLIDARITY


DISGUST IS THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO MOSE SITUATIONS


DISORGANIZATION IS A KIND OF ANESTHESIA


DON'T PLACE TOO MUCH TRUST IN EXPERTS


DON'T RUIN PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR THEM


DRAMA OFTEN OBSCURES THE REAL ISSUES


DREAMING WHILE AWAKE IS A FRIGHTENING CONTRADICTION


DYING AND COMING BACK GIVES YOU CONSIDERABLE PERSPECTIVE


DYING SHOULD BE EASY AS FALLING OFF A LOG


EATING TOO MUCH IS CRIMINAL


ELABORATION IS A FORM OF POLLUTION


EMOTIONAL RESPONSES ARE AS VAULABLE AS INTELLECTUAL RESPONSES


ENJOY YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING ANYWAY


ENSURE THAT YOUR LIFE STAYS IS FLUX


EVEN YOUR FAMILY CAN BETRAY YOU


EVERY ACHIEVMENT REQUIRES A SACRIFICE


EVERYONE'S WORK IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT


EVERYTHING THAT'S INTERESTING IS NEW


EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE DESERVE SPECIAL CONSESSIONS


EXPIRING FOR LOVE IS BEAUTIFUL BUT STUPID


EXPRESSING ANGER IS NECESSARY


EXTREME BEHAVIOR HAS ITS BASIS IN PATHOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY


EXTREME SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS LEADS TO PERVERSION


FAITHFULNESS IS A SOCIAL NOT A BIOLOGICAL LAW


FAKE OR REAL INDIFFERENCE IS A POWERFUL PERSONAL WEAPON


FATHERS OFTEN USE TOO MUCH FORCE


FEAR IS TEH GREATEST INCAPACITATOR


FREEDOM IS A LUXURY NOT A NECESSITY


GIVING FREE REIN TO YOUR EMOTIONS IS AN HONEST WAY TO LIVE


GO ALL OUT IN ROMANCE AND LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY


GOING WITH THE FLOW IS SOOTHING BUT RISKY


GOOD DEEDS EVENTUALLY ARE REWARDED


GOVERNMENT IS A BURDEN ON THE PEOPLE


GRASS ROOTS AGITATION IS THE ONLY HOPE


GUILT AND SELF-LACERATION ARE INDULGENCES


HABITUAL CONTEMPT DOESN'T REFLECT A FINER SENSIBILITY


HIDING YOUR MOTIVES IS DESPICABLE


HOLDING BACK PROTECTS YOUR VITAL ENERGIES


HUMANISM IS OBSELETE


HUMOR IS A RELEASE


IDEALS ARE REPLACED BY CONVENTIONAL GOALS AT A CERTAIN AGE


IF YOU AREN'T POLITICAL YOUR PERSONAL LIFE SHOULD BE EXEMPLARY


IF YOU CAN'T LEAVE YOUR MARK GIVE UP


IF YOU HAVE MANY DESIRES LIFE WILL BE INTERESTING


IF YOU LIVE SIMPLY THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT


IGNORING ENEMIES IS THE BEST WAY TO FIGHT


ILLNESS IS A STATE OF MIND


IMPOSING ORDER IS MAN'S VOCATION FOR CHAOS IS HELL


IN SOME INSTANCES IT'S BETTER TO DIE THAN TO CONTINUE


INHERITANCE MUST BE ABOLISHED


IT CAN BE HELPFUL TO KEEP GOING NO MATTER WHAT


IT IS HEROICE TO TRY TO STOP TIME


IT IS MAN'S FATE TO OUTSMART HIMSELF


IT'S A GIFT TO THE WORLD NO TO HAVE BABIES


IT'S BETTER TO BE A GOOD PERSON THAN A FAMOUS PERSON


IT'S BETTER TO BE LONELY THAN TO BE WITH INFERIOR PEOPLE


IT'S BETTER TO BE NAIVE THAN JADED


IT'S BETTER TO STUDY THE LIVING TFACT THAN TO ANALYZE HISTORY


IT'S CRUCIAL TO HAVE AN ACTIVE FANTASY LIFE


IT'S GOOD TO GIVE EXTRA MONEY TO CHARITY


IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAY CLEAN ON ALL LEVELS


IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO RECONCILE YOUR HEART AND HEAD


IT'S JUST AN ACCIDENT YOUR PARENTS ARE YOUR PARENTS


IT'S NOT GOOD TO HOLD TOO MANY ABSOLUTES


IT'S NOT GOOD TO OPERATE ON CREDIT


IT'S VITAL TO LIVE IN HARMONY WITH NATURE


JUST BELIEVING SOMETHING CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN


KEEP SOMETHING IN RESERVE FOR EMERGENCIES


KILLING IS UNAVOIDABLE BUT IS NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF


KNOWING YOURSELF LETS YOU UNDERSTAND OTHERS


KNOWLEDGE SHOULD BE ADVANCED AT ALL COSTS


LABOR IS A LIFE DESTROYING ACTIVITY


LACK OF CHARISMA CAN BE FATAL


LEARN THING FROM THE GROUND UP


LEARN TO TRUST YOUR OWN EYES


LEISURE TIME IS A GIGANTIC SMOKESCREEN


LETTING GO IS THE HARDEST THING TO DO


LISTEN WHEN YOUR BODY TALKS


LOOKING BACK IS THE FIRST SIGN OF AGING AND DECAY


LOVING ANIMALS IS A SUBSITUTE ACTIVITY


LOW EXPECTATIONS ARE GOOD PROTECTION


MANUAL LABOR CAN BE REFRESHING AND WHOLESOME


MEN ARE NOT MONOGAMOUS BY NATURE


MODERATION KILLS THE SPIRIT


MONEY CREATES TASTE


MONOMANIA IS A PREREQUISITE OF SUCCESS


MORALS ARE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE


MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT FIT TO RULE THEMSELVES


MOSTLY YOU SHOULD MIND YOUR OWN BUISNESS


MOTHERS SHOULDN'T MAKE TOO MANY SACRIFICES


MUCH WAS DECIDED BEFORE YOU WHERE BORN


MURDER HAS ITS SEXUAL SIDE


MYTHS MAKE REALITY MORE INTELLIGIBLE


NOISE CAN BE HOSTILE


NOTHING UPSETS THE BALANCE OF GOOD AND EVIL


OCCASIONALLY PRINCIPLES ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN PEOPLE


OFFER VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF


OFTEN YOU SHOULD ACT LIKE UOU ARE SEXLESS


OLD FRIENDS ARE BETTER LEFT IN THE PAST


OPACITY IS AN IRRESISTIBLE CHALLENGE


PAIN CAN BE A VERY POSITIVE THING


PEOPLE ARE BORING UNLESS THEY ARE EXTREMISTS


PEOPLE ARE NUTS IF THEY THINK THEY ARE IMPORTANT


PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THEY DO UNLESS THEY'RE INSANE


PEOPLE WHO DON'T WORK WITH THEIR HANDS ARE PARASITES


PEOPLE GO CRAZY ARE TOO SENSITIVE


PEOPLE WON'T BEHAVE IF THEY HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE


PHYSICAL CULTURE IS SECOND-BEST


PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE IS ESCAPISM


PLAYING IT SAFE CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE IN THE LONG RUN


POLITICS IS USED FOR PERSONAL GAIN


POTENTIAL COUNTS FOR NOTHING UNTIL IT'S REALIZED


PRESENTATION IS AS IMPORTANT AS CONTENT


PURSUING PLEASURE FOR THE SAKE OF PLEASURE WILL RUIN YOU


PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMIT AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE

RAISE BOYS AND GIRLS THE SAME WAY


RANDOM MATING IS GOOD FOR DEBUNKING SEX MYTHS


RECHANNELING DESTRUCTIVE IMPULSES IS A SIGN OF MATURITY


RECLUSES ALWAYS GET WEAK


REDISTRIBUTING WEALTH IS IMPERATIVE


REALITIVITY IS NO BOON TO MANKIND


RELIGION CAUSES AS MANY PROBLEMS AS IT SOLVES


REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS HAVE FREEDOM OF CHOICE


REPITITION IS THE BEST WAY TO LEARN


RESOLUTIONS SERVE TO EASE YOUR CONSCIENCE


REVOLUTION BEGINS WITH THE CHANGES IN THE INDIVIDUAL


ROMANTIC LOVE WAS INVENTED TO MANIPULATE WOMEN


ROUTINE IS A LINK WITH THE PAST


ROUTINE SMALL EXCESSES ARE WORSE THAN THE OCCASIONAL EBAUCH


SACRIFICING YOURSELF FOR A BAD CAUSE IS NOT A MORAL ACT


SALVATION CAN'T BE BOUGHT AND SOLD


SELF-AWARENESS CAN BE CRIPPLING


SELF-CONTEMPT CAN DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD


SELFISHNESS IS THE MOST BASIC MOTIVATION


SELFLESSNESS IS THE HIGHEST ACHIEVMENT


SEPRATISM IS THE WAY TO A NEW BEGINNING


SEX DIFFERENCES ARE HERE TO STAY


SIN IS A MEANS OF SOCIAL CONTROL


SLIPPING INTO MADNESS IS GOOD FOR THE SAKE OF COMPARISON


SLOPPY THINKING GETS WORSE OVER TIME


SOLITUDE IS ENRICHING


SOME STONES ARE BETTER LEFT UNTURNED


SOME WOUNDS NEVER HEAL


SOMETIMES ALL YOU CAN DO IS LOOK THE OTHER WAY


SOMETIMES SCIENCE ADVANCES FASTER THAN IT SHOULD


SOMETIMES THINGS SEEMS TO HAPPEN OF THEIR OWN ACCORD


SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON SELF-IMPROVEMENT IS ANTI-SOCIAL


STARVATION IS NATURE'S WAY


STATIS IS A DREAM STATE


STERLIZATION IS THE WEAPON OF THE RULERS


STRONG EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT STEMS FROM BASIC INSECURITY


STUPID PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BREED


SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST APPLIES TO MEN AND ANIMALS


SYMBOLS ARE MORE MEANINGFUL THAN THINGS THEMSELVES


TAKING A STRONG STAND PUBLICIZES THE OPPOSITE POSITION


TALKING IS USED TO HIDE ONE'S INABILITY TO ACT


TEASING PEOPLE SEXUALLY CAN HAVE UGLY CONSEQUENCES


TECHNOLOGY WILL MAKE OR BREAK US


THE CRUELEST DISAPPOINTMENT IS WHEN YOU LET YOURSELF DOWN


THE DESIRE TO REPRODUCE IS A DEATH WISH


THE FAMILY IS LIVING ON BORROWED TIME


THE IDEA OF REVOLUTION IS AN ADOLESCENT FANTASY


THE IDEA OF TRANSCENDENCE IS USED TO OBSCURE OPPRESSION


THE IDIOSYNCRATIC HAS LOST ITS AUTHORITY


THE LAND BELONGS TO NO ONE


THE MORE YOU KNOW THE BETTER YOU ARE


THE MOST PROFOUND THINGS ARE INEXPRESSIBLE


THE MUNDANE IS TO BE CHERISHED


THE NEW IS NOTHING BUT A RESTATEMENT OF THE OLD


THE ONLY WAY TO BE PURE IS TO STAY YOURSELF


THE SUM OF ALL YOUR ACTIONS DETERMINES WHAT YOU ARE


THE UNATTAINABLE INVARIABLE IS ATTRACTIVE


THE WORLD OPERATES ACCORDING TO DISCOVERABLE LAWS


THERE ARE TOO FEW IMMUTABLE TRUTHS TODAY


THERE'S A FINE LINE BETWEEN INFORMATION AND PROPAGANDA


THERE'S NO SENSE BEING ANYWHERE BUT THE TOP OF THE HEAP


THERE'S NOTHING EXCEPT WHAT YOU SENSE


THERE'S NOTHING REDEEMING IN TOIL


THINKING TOO MUCH CAN ONLY CAUSE PROBLEMS


THREATENING SOMEONE SEXUALLY IS A HORRIBLE ACT


TIMIDITY IS LAUGHABLE


TO DISAGREE PRESUPPOSES MORAL INTREGRITY


TO VOLUNTEER IS REACTIONARY


TORTURE IS BARBARIC


TRADING A LIFE FOR A LIFE IS FAIR ENOUGH


TRUE FREEDOM IS FRIGHTFUL


UNIQUE THINGS MUST BE THE MOST VALUABLE


UNQUESTIONING LOVE DEMONSTRATES THE LARGESSE OF SPIRIT


USING FORCE TO STOP FORCE IS ABSURD


VIOLENCE IS PERMISSIBLE EVEN DESIRABLE OCCASIONALLY


WAR IS THE PURIFICATION RITE


WE MUST MAKE SACRIFICES TO MAINTAIN OUR QUALITY OF LIFE


WHEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS PEOPLE WAKE UP


WISHING THINGS AWAY IS NOT EFFECTIVE


WITH PERSEVERANCE YOU CAN DISCOVER ANY TRUTH


WORDS TEND TO BE INADEQUATE


WORRYING CAN HELP YOU PREPARE


YOU ARE A VICTIM OF THE RULES YOU LIVE BY


YOU ARE GUIELESS IN YOUR DREAMS


YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSTITUTING THE MEANING OF THINGS


YOU ARE THE PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE


YOU CAN LIVE THROUGH YOUR DESCENDANTS


YOU CAN NEVER OUTRUN YOURSELF


YOU CAN PULL YOURSELF OUT OF ANY HOLE


YOU CAN'T EXPECT PEOPLE TO BE SOMETHING THEY'RE NOT


YOU CAN'T FOOL OTHERS IF YOU'RE FOOLING YOURSELF


YOU DIG YOUR OWN GRAVE


YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WHAT UNTIL YOU SUPPORT YOURSELF


YOU GET THE FACE YOU DESERVE


YOU HAVE TO HURT OTHERS TO BE EXTRODINARY


YOU MUST BE INTIMATE WITH A TOKEN FEW


YOU MUST DISAGREE WITH AUTHORITY FIGURES


YOU MUST HAVE ONE GRAND PASSION


YOU MUST KNOW WHERE YOU STOP AND THE WORLD BEGINS


YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT PEOPLE REALLY THINK ABOUT YOU


YOU ONLY CAN UNDERSTAND SOMEONE OF YOUR OWN SEX


YOU OWN THE WORLD NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND


YOU SHOULD TRAVEL LIGHT


YOU SHOULD STUDY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE


YOUR ACTIONS ARE POINTLESS IF NO ONE NOTICES


YOUR OLDEST FEARS ARE THE WORST ONES

foray

 

[foray]

I don't think this is all of it(!), too. She had so many...

foray

 

[spanisheyes]

Foray...the little ball on my mouse wore out from scrolling all the way to the bottom of your post.

In all seriousness, some of those could have been springboards to some of the aphorisms that appeared on the ZooTv tour.

Chris

 

[Sister Ray]

I remember reading somewhere, I think in "The Road to Pop" book, that the Zoo TV slogans were based on these truisms. I'm sure someone will be able to correct me if I'm wrong...

------------------
"We are the biggest little cult band in the world." - Larry (1997)

 

[candyfloss]

Yeah, I think Jenny Holzer was involved with the Red, Hot and Blue project somehow. I remember getting a letter from her for donations with a bunch of these sayings in it. I'll have to see if I've still got that.

------------------
I miss the innocence I've known
Playin' KISS covers beautiful and stoned

 

[WHYWHY]

Originally posted by Sister Ray:
I remember reading somewhere, I think in "The Road to Pop" book, that the Zoo TV slogans were based on these truisms. I'm sure someone will be able to correct me if I'm wrong...

Yeah, and the lyrics in THE FLY were inspired by the book of truisms....

Bless ya!
WHYWHY

 

[Bacchus]

i really love some of these foray, dont know if i agree with all but its cool none the less... nice to see you're still on the wire, take care...

innocence is the tongue of ambition...
bacchus

 

[foray]

Originally posted by WHYWHY:

Yeah, and the lyrics in THE FLY were inspired by the book of truisms....

Bless ya!
WHYWHY

Wow, is that true? I'm pretty proud of making the connection then, hehe. <beam>

Jenny Holzer also had a "Survivor" series after "Truisms". Would you like me to post that, too? It's just as good, but a little shorter. She then went on to make another project based on war rapes in Bosnia.

This is a recent project, this time it's online and you folks can participate in it. Just click on "please", "change" or "beliefs". http://adaweb.walkerart.org/project/holzer/cgi/pcb.cgi?truism


furry

[This message has been edited by foray (edited 03-31-2002).]

 

[Shine * Like* Stars*]

That was the longest post I have ever seen! I also heard that Bono was inspired by a Jane's Addiction show when he got the idea for it.

 

[Slapnutz]

Taken from Entertainment Weekly in May, 1992: The word is spreading, but not everyone is shouting hallelujah. From the much-discussed Van Halen video, "Right Now," to U2's video for "The Fly" and its recent Zoo TV tour, rockers are increasingly filling video monitors and arena screens with words as images. Now one of the art world's most lauded "word artists," Jenny Holzer, says U2 is ripping her off - and she's considering what action to take.

The video for "The Fly" is so similar to her work, Holzer says, that when she saw it she thought it was hers.

In her view, U2's "The Future Is a Fantasy," a text sequence in the video, is semantically similar to her piece "The Future Is Stupid." And she believes another text block, "Ambition Bites the Nails of Success," is dangerously like her "Ambition Is Just as Dangerous as Complacency."

In 1990, "Fly" director Jon Klein and former MTV producer/director Mark Pellington co-produced a "Buzz" segment on Holzer that aired on MTV.

Klein couldn't be reached for comment.

Pellington, who directed the filmed backgrounds for the U2 tour, denies theft. "It's part of an artist's influence on pop culture," he says.




------------------
'Closer than ever to everybody's wife'

 

[foray]

Salpnutz, what a nice story gone awry... I'm disappointed things turned out the way they did. Jenny Holzer is an artist who wants to get her art work out to as many people as possible, especially the layman, hence she exhibited her truisms on parkbenches, billboards, LED signs... So, I am very surprised that she kicked up a fuss about U2 supposedly stealing her ideas. There's more than enough art to go around. I dunno... I guess it is okay for artists to brand art with their own names thereby owning the piece, but I thought Holzer was different.

As for similarities in the phrases, yeah, U2's line is a lot like "The Future Is Stupid". However, "Ambition Bites the Nails Of Success" is miles apart from "Ambition Is Just as Dangerous as Complacency." They just begin with the same word!

foray

------------------
so bounce, basketball, bounce

 

[ultraviolet299]

I knew it!!!!
I did a paper on Jenny Holzer for an Art class. I really enjoyed her work. I remember while looking up info on her on the net there were sparse mentions of U2 being inspired by her work. I think maybe she even accused them of nabbing her ideas, and not giving any credit. :O

 

[foray]

Hey look what I found from @u2:

Around the time of ZooTV, Bono talked often of "judo" as a metaphor for what U2 was trying to accomplish by hauling giant TV screens around the world and appropriating the style of sleazy rock'n'rollers. In judo you use your enemy's strength to launch your attack. Like Holzer, U2 used objects with a specific meaning to the culture -- TVs, telephones -- and invested them with new meanings, via satellite linkups with Sarajevo or prank calls to the White House.

But there is a closer connection between Holzer and U2. This is where things get uncomfortable. Brainstorming ideas for visuals for the tour, Bono namedrops Jenny Holzer to U2 at the End of the World author Bill Flanagan: "Bono points out that the song 'The Fly' is full of new truisms ('A liar won't believe anyone else') and when they play that song live he wants the screens to flash all sorts of epigrams, messages, and buzz words, from Call your mother to Guilt is not of God to Pussy." And, indeed, this is what U2 does -- to Holzer's consternation. An Entertainment Weekly article from 1992 (archived at atu2.com) says that when Holzer first saw the video to "The Fly" she thought they were using her pieces. In the video phrases similar to the ones Holzer wrote (Holzer truisms: "The Future is Stupid," "Ambition is Just as Dangerous As Complacency"; U2 truisms: "The Future Is a Fantasy," "Ambition Bites the Nails of Success") are presented in a way akin to how she exhibited her work -- the phrase "WATCH MORE TV" runs across an LED signboard like her "CLASS STRUCTURE IS AS ARTIFICIAL AS PLASTIC" ran across one at the Palladium in New York. The article points out one of the directors of the video, Jon Klein, co-produced a piece on Holzer that aired on MTV in 1990. The other producer of the MTV Holzer piece, Mark Pellington, worked on the ZooTV tour itself.

Ned O'Hanlon (who, as part of Dreamchaser, produced the "Fly" video and "ZooTV Live In Sydney," among many other of U2's filmed exploits) explained in a web chat in 1996, "Words were always a part of ZooTV...In the video, Jon Klein came up with some of the slogans, Bono with others, ourselves with others. The show was Mark Pellington. Pellington took the word idea and went mad. We all sat in an edit suite and thought up all the words we could....Jenny Holzer was certainly an influence. She wasn't the first person to use words as 'Art' and neither were we."

But by using scrolling LED signs for the slogans in "The Fly" -- and making some of the messages sound like truisms -- were Klein, Pellington et al. coming too close to Jenny Holzer's style? A news release on a recent Holzer exhibition says "she contributed text and images to pop group U2's Zoo Station world tour." So confusion was created. It's not a simple case of copyright violation, but it can lead to bad blood between U2 and members of the artistic community.

Perhaps the saddest part of this debate is that it may not have had to take place at all. When U2 were launching ZooTV they recruited visual artists to help them with the show design, introducing such names as David Wojnarowicz (the man behind the buffalo images in "The Fly") and the Emergency Broadcast Network (who made the Bush-chants-"We Will Rock You" tape played at the start of US shows) to a mass audience. When they thought of adopting the "Truisms" style in "The Fly," did they contact Holzer? With her interest in art that appears in unexpected places, she may have embraced the opportunity to have her "Truisms" flash on the ZooTV screens. Imagine the pairing of her aesthetic with U2's. Imagine attending a concert and seeing "MONEY CREATES TASTE" morph into "TASTE IS THE ENEMY OF ART."

foray

 

[AdamsPoptart]

Computers can be rather tricky, so i made my own truism..."KILL YOUR COMPUTER NOW!!!"

 

[Chizip]

 

[shaun vox]

Computers can be rather tricky, so i made my own truism..."KILL YOUR COMPUTER NOW!!!"

you waited 18(something) months to say this

its a crazy world out there!