ANJA KERKAPOLY | Graphic Design

Write a 250-300 word introductory text about this designer’s work. Fascinated by pop culture, the feminist movement, and political agenda, Barbara Kruger is an iconic graphic designer famous for her visual social commentary. Kruger’s works employ

bold phrases that strike both our eyes and our minds. She uses black and white versions of existing photographs and overlays them with red boxes containing bold, italic white text against. The phrases carry an accusatory tone, and use pronouns like “I,” “you” and “we” in order to turn the viewer into the subject. These pronouns also serve to satirically refer to and comment on the roles of men and women in society.

Barbara Kruger has an extensive, and impressive, academic resume. She attended Syracuse University and The School of Visual Arts before finally finishing her studies at Parsons School of Design. There she studied under Diane Arbus, a famous black and white portrait photographer. After graduating from Parsons School of Design in 1966, Kruger went off to work at a variety of publishing companies. At Conde Nast, she worked on “Mademoiselle” magazine as head designer. Her other job titles have included art director, graphic designer and picture editor. She also worked for “House and Garden,” “Aperture,” and other publications. This background in advertising and graphic design is evident in the designs that she is now known and renowned for.

Then, in 1977 she took up photography. She photographed buildings and overlayed them with text musing on the lives of those inside. Unbeknownst at the time, this foreshadowed what was to come in her later works.

Since the early 80’s, Kruger has concocted her own explosive phrases, but she has chosen pre-existing photographs for her works. The photographs are taken from the very magazines that celebrate and sell the very ideas that she aims to dispute. Kruger first exhibited her now trademark works in 1979 at the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City, Queens. Since then, her work has been shown in museums and galleries worldwide, and has also been used on billboards, buscards, posters, a public park, a train station platform in Strasbourg, France, and in other public commissions.

Write a two-sentence biography of the designer. Barbara Kruger is an

American artist born in Newark, New Jersey in 1945. She currently splits her time

between New York and Los Angeles, teaching and working with LA’s Museum of Contemporary Arts.

Write three possible titles for the exhibition.  Pop-Culture, Politics and Kruger: A Social Commentary Barbara Kruger: A Voice for the People Barbara Kruger: Society, Politics, and Us

Untitled (your body is a battleground)

1989 Photographic silk screen

on vinyl

Untitled (I shop therefore I am)

1987 Photographic silk screen

on vinyl