Blog 5: Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger, the Feminist Artist

Barbara Kruger is an American conceptual artist who makes collages that are predominately black and white photographs that are accompanied by white colored statements over a red box(s). The fonts typically used in her artworks are  Futura Bold Oblique or Helvetica Ultra Condensed. Her images focus on the power of language as visual imagery from her poster-like works. Her images are usually black and white replications taken from media and they challenge our ideas and beliefs of sexuality, power and gendered influenced by our society. A great example of this is from her piece, "Your Body is a Battleground." A piece that comments on a woman's right to have a legalized abortion. The feminist writer, Roxanne Gay, does a great job on commenting about this issue. Gay wrote "Reproductive freedom is a campaign issue. Reproductive freedom can be repealed or restrictive. Reproductive freedom is not an inalienable right even though it should be...I don't feel free. I don't feel like my body is my own" (Gay 273-274).

Piece by Barbara Kruger commenting on a woman's right to have a legalized abortion.

Kruger has created many pieces with statements pertaining to domestic violence, racism, commenting on consumerism, and the role of women in society. In these pieces, she is critical of today's mass media, using thought-provoking words to capture the audience's attention and make them question their beliefs. Kruger's work mainly focuses on dismantling the idea of male dominance. Her art dismisses the the regular standards of art and color, and it is often seen as radical, problematic and even propaganda. Her art is very political, intense, in-your-face, and personal. For example, the artwork below is based on Laura Mulvey’s theory of the Male Gaze. Mulvey wrote, “In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its phantasy on to the female form which is styled accordingly. In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness” (Mulvey 62).   

Kruger's piece using Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze and the violent power it carries.

Kruger uses her sharp eyes for images. She chooses and scans pictures. She then inspects them, crops them and edits them to focus on their impact. Her approach to storytelling allows for bold statements that is cohesive with the image that is being commented on. She believes that the text would be able to make  certain elements noticeable that remain undetected in the photograph (Silverman 1). The text in correlation with the images, does a good job in tackling stereotypes, particularly aimed at women. In addition, Kruger does a great job bringing the audience in, by putting them on the spot. This method is done by including pronouns in her art, such as "You", "I", "We", and "they." For example, in one of her “recent” pieces, It's all about me, I mean you, I mean me (2010), featuring Kim Kardashian in full nude, gracing the cover of W Magazine. Some conspire that this a critique about the Kardashian's self-serving motivations to be the “Queen of Reality television,” and to continue to stay in the limelight no matter what. New York Times writer, Lynn Hirschberg commented “Kim Kardashian can’t sing, act, or dance, but she’s found the role of a lifetime in the fine art of playing herself” (The Art Story). Kruger definitely did a good job in displaying this and including the audience.

“Barbara Kruger.” Barbara Kruger, umich.edu/~ws483/Kruger.html. Accessed 2 May 2017.

"Barbara Kruger Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works." The Art Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May

2017.

Funk, Clayton. “Art, Culture, Music, Film, Television.”Barbara Kruger. Accessed 3 May 2017.

Mulvey, Laura. Laura Mulvey 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema' 1975. London: Afterall,

2016. Print.

Silverman, Rachel E. "Kruger, Barbara." Encyclopedia of Gender in Media, edited by Mary

Kosut, SAGE Reference, 2012, pp. 190-191. Gale Virtual Reference Library, Accessed 3 May 2017.

Waldman, Katy. "A Raw and Honest Book by a Very Bad Feminist ." Slate Magazine. N.p., 05

Aug. 2014. Web. 4 May 2017.