The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 20, 2024

Laments: Death came and he looked like... (Sarcophagus coffin)

Laments: Death came and he looked like... (Sarcophagus coffin)

1987
(American, b.1950)
America
marble
45.7 x 61 x 137.2 cm (18 x 24 x 54 in.)
Purchased with funds donated by Scott Mueller 2019.19.1.a
© Jenny Holzer, member Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The same text is displayed in motion on the LED sign and static on the surface of the sarcophagus.

Description

Laments: Death came and he looked like… belongs to one of Jenny Holzer’s iconic sculpture series, the Laments. A response to the AIDS epidemic, the series is based on 13 texts written by Holzer, which she has described as “voices of the dead.” Each text was manifested in two forms: as colored light flowing between the ceiling and floor on LED signs, and as engravings carved into the tops of sarcophagi made of different stones. This work is one of those pairings.
  • 2019-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
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  • {{cite web|title=Laments: Death came and he looked like... (Sarcophagus coffin)|url=false|author=Jenny Holzer|year=1987|access-date=20 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2019.19.1.a