BARBARA KRUGER
Name: Barbara Kruger
Born: January 26 1945 in Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
Occupation: Contemporary and conceptual artist
Nationality: American
Born: January 26 1945 in Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
Occupation: Contemporary and conceptual artist
Nationality: American
Their practice: One of the biggest productions to come out of the 1960’s was conceptual, pop artist Barbara Kruger. As a politically invested activist, Kruger was most famously known for her contribution to the art world and history of Contemporary Art. Kruger went through stages of being a graphic designer, art director, and picture editor, which were all careers that triggered her agitprop style art. Kruger’s artworks were print-media photography that mostly plastered and challenged social and political concerns happening in the current world. Similar to Warhol’s practice, Kruger’s art making had derived from her graphic design skills, making her artistic techniques exceptional and presentation accurately displayed. Kruger’s artworks were about political, social, feminist provocation and commentaries on religion, sex, racial and gender stereotypes, consumerism, corporate greed and power, and were seen to the public as confronting and raw. Kruger challenged many traditional standards of art making, including challenging the public’s social ethics and individualism.
How are they exhibited? Barbara Kruger’s artworks are exhibited in galleries and public spaces.
How does the audience experience their work? Barbara Kruger’s practice is displayed through large prints, bolded words, and close-up blown up photographs, which firstly, initiates the audience’s first impression as raw confrontment. The audience engages with Kruger’s practice as it triggers the audience’s attention immediately, provoking their distraction from any ongoing movements around them. This is Kruger’s intention by her excessive use of photography and photo-media, as her concept is exploited throughout the artwork very clearly. Kruger’s intention for this immediate engagement is for the audience to realise the power of her political, social, and feminist concepts. By using her choice of contemporary, raw and bold materials, Kruger is engaging to the audience subtly, to reflect the power of her artworks.
Artworks:
- ‘Untitled (We don’t need another hero) by Barbara Kruger is a photograph displaying a child uncomfortably and confidently flexing their arm. The mother is pointing to it in confusion while the text ‘We don’t need another hero’ is boldly plastered throughout the middle in red, similar to the red boarder seen on the entire artwork. The photograph is in black and white, a strong comparison to the red boarder and text.
- The child in the artwork is a representation of society’s youth, while the mother is a representation of society’s older generation. The child is displayed as an unidentified gender, challenging the social construct of gender norms within society. Although at first glance the photo depicts a young boy, it can also be seen as a girl through many different views. Initially, this is because at first instinct with the text and the pose, a boy is instantly triggered as the label. This stereotyped boy is the audience’s result when ‘hero’ is exhibited through the canvas as well as the flexed posed of the child.
- The child’s expression signifies an uncomfortable impression. This posture and appearance represents society’s youth being controlled through gender social norms and how the youth is expected to conform.
- The mother is curiously pointing at the child’s impression, ignoring the fact that this pose makes them uncomfortable. This is symbol of the pressures undergone of the youth, and the result being more important that the journey to society. The misunderstood, shallow expression on the mum is one that denies the opinion of her child. This represents the rejection the youth experiences and how it leads to a socially constructed identity.
- The colours of this photograph, black and white, is an expression to display the one-sidedness of this issue. The colours represent the deny to change, opinion, and individualism within society’s youth, making them clones who follow the same genders society gave them.
- The contrast of the colour red displays Kruger’s intentions. The red text ‘We don’t need another hero’ appeals to her acceptance of the youth. Kruger’s acknowledgement and understanding is expressed through this title, claiming that she believes society does not need the youth being more pressured into conforming to gender stereotypes. With this artwork, Kruger hopes to communicate to the audience with the same result of acceptance and understanding that she features.
- ‘Untitled (Your body is a battleground)’ by Barbara Kruger is a photograph displaying a woman cropped through her face leaving two symmetrical parts. The left part of her face is photographed normally and positively, while the right part is edited negatively. The text ‘Your body is a battleground’ is bold, red, and white, as it’s parted into three sections across the artwork. A thick, red boarder is also seen throughout the edge of the artwork, mirroring the red used in the centre text.This artwork is derived from Kruger’s feminist appeal. It’s divided into two parts, which represent the two sides of the reproductive health debate – the positive and negative rendition. The text ‘Your body is a battleground’ is placed in the middle between these two sides, representing a woman’s battle in choosing and the consequences of both that follow after.
- The female is seen as a combat zone which the context of the text and photographs.
- ‘Untitled (Your body is a battleground)’ is about the right to choose and the rights to a woman’s body.
- Kruger accentuates this concept and political statement by portraying the same face from two different views. The views, positive and negative, display that the woman is the same, no matter her choice.
- This artwork only exhibits a woman’s face, which represents the idealistic societal fabrication of women. The idea that women are seen as objects and figures is detached, focusing on the woman’s face and denying the chance for the audience to visualise and comment on the body. The close-up shot is for the audience to successfully interact with this women and the decision she makes. With the woman staring directly to the audience fiercely, the audience is forced to state back making the audience communication with the woman. This was Kruger’s intention, for the audience to interact with the artwork in the hopes to find understanding in women’s rights.
- This artwork is powerful, aggressive, and strong, as it addresses a woman’s struggles simply. Kruger has constructed this artwork as simple for the audience to understand but with enough depth and power to change their understanding.