Protect Me From What I Want from Contemporary Archeology, Pandora Part Three, 1990Text on resopal plate fixed on heavy board12 3/4 × 9 7/8 in | 32.4 × 25.1 cmEdition of 200Published by Bébert, Rotterdam
 

In 1982 the artist Jenny Holzer made a large electronic sign that went up in Times Square, it simply said, ‘Protect me from What I want.’ A curious statement, which at first glance seems odd and designed to provoke debate. The most obvious interpretation is about consumerism; people wanting protection from the endless incitement to purchase. But for me, a therapist, there’s a potentially a more complex psychological meaning that has resonance for so many clients I see.