Copying a Precedent- Protect Me From What I Want by Jenny Holtzer

In 1982, Jenny Holzer placed a large electric sign in Times Square reading “Protect me from what I want.” The message was placed in a space typically reserved for advertisements, making it a sharp critique of the consumerism that dominates the area. For me, this phrase is a commentary on the powerful force of advertising, and how the things we "want"- often consumer goods- are pushed onto us constantly. We may desire these products, but that doesn’t mean they’re good for us or for society as a whole. The effects of overconsumption- environmental destruction, exploitation of human rights, and the widening wealth gap are just a few of the consequences we’re dealing with. Holzer’s message seems to suggest that we need protection from this cycle of desire.

This message resonated and inspired me. I decided to take Holzer’s statement word for word and change the context to see how its meaning might shift. I painted the phrase onto my personal paint palette, an object I’ve used for almost a decade. Over the years, it’s collected layers of paint, each trace representing a different project or stage of my creative process. By injecting these words into my workspace — where I’ve been grappling with a painting I’m reluctant to finish — the phrase takes on new meaning. Through my own lens, and in the context of my work, it feels like a form of self-sabotage. Here, the phrase represents the paralyzing effect of perfectionism that so many of us experience. It’s an interesting recontextualization of self-sabotage because, like consumerism, it’s often subtle. It's not as overt, but just as potent. When it comes to both material consumption and our standards for ourselves, perhaps if we didn’t hold arbitrary bars so high for ourselves, we wouldn’t want the things we need protection from.