Research. The Constructed Image.

Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1945. Her background in design is evident in the work she is now renowned for.

She layers found photographs from existing images with aggressive texts that involves the viewer in the struggle for power and control that her captions speak to.

Her trademark is black letters against the red background, some of her instantly recognizable slogans read:

“I shop therefore I am”

“Your body is a battleground”

“Not stupid enough”

“We don’t need another hero”

“Look and listen” etc.

A lot of her text and work questions the viewer. And how they may perceive the image. She focuses and bases her work around feminism, classicism, consumerism, desire and more. She originally began to take her own images, however, she soon decided to use photographs that have been displayed in the past, with text that works well with the image.

Despite the text being surrounded by red, which works extremely well due to it being very striking, it doesn’t take away from the meaning or the actual image. The viewer is still able to see what they are looking at.

Her images are very directing to either herself “I”, the viewer “you”, “your”, or the world “we”, and “they”. Making her images relate even more so to the society that we have all been brought up around, they are also very personal and striking.

I personally take inspiration from Barbara Krugers work due to the way that it is created, for the meaning, but also the aspect of aesthetics, the look of the image, being spread across the faces of the people, which is effective due to the mystery behind it all, and yet, they are quite public.