The Art of Barbara Kruger

Background……. Barbara Kruger is an American

CONCEPTUAL ARTIST. She wasborn in Newark, New Jersey in1945 and left there in 1964 to

attend Syracuse University. Aftera year at Syracuse, she moved to

New York, where she beganattending Parsons School of

Design. Shortly after coming toParson's, she was given a job atMademoiselle, and within a yearwas chief designer. Her designexperience would factor heavily

into the work she began doing asan artist in 1969

Exploring Identity: Her vast portfolio of workaddresses issues such as cultural stereotypes, domestic violence,identity, gender, and even political and social power.

-Who is this posteraddressing?

-What is the “battle” thatKruger is referring to?

-How is duality representedhere?

-What does the use of the“negative” face bring to the

work?

I work with pictures and words because they have theability to determine who we are and who we aren't"

- Barbara Kruger

How does this imagereinforce the text?

Is this woman ugly? Is this piece about

beauty?

What defines You?Many of us can relate…-How does the hand

“holding” it reflect theidea?

-Is she telling us astatement or is thisalso a littleadvertisement initself?

"A picture is worth more than a thousandwords."

Why is this womancrying?

How does the mirrorreflect that?

How does the word“not” play into thepiece?

Is size a factor?

How are you seen? What do you “see”

when you look at thisimage?

How do you think hefeels?

How is the textintegrated in thepicture? Does itreinforce the concept?

“YOU” Who is she speaking to or is she telling

you?

Review: Format: Image, usually black and white photo with

text on red. Letters may be cut out individually. Photos may be appropriated or more than one

may be fused together.

Concept: Identity. What defines you?

Project: Create your own Conceptual work of art based on what you saw

today. Explore an idea that is meaningful and defines “YOU”. Collect images from magazines in the classroom. Cut and paste letters or words to express your thoughts on the

subject through text. If you can not find black and white photos you may work in color,

but choose a text color that would stand out appropriately. Highlight text by placing it on blocks of color such as the red

rectangles in Kruger’s work.

Begin Now