Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger was born in Newark, New Jersey on January 26, 1945. She is an American conceptual artist. Most of her work consists of black-and-white photographs, which were overlaid with declarative captions in white-on-red. In her work Most of her text used to question the viewers of her work about feminism, consumerism, and individual autonomy and desire, although the black-and-white images Barbara Kruger created are culled from the mainstream magazines that sell the ideas she is disputing. 

This I find is very contradicting as in a sense she says not to do one thing but she does it herself like a hypo crypt but I guess she has to make a living, which is understandable. I liker her work on consumerism the most because it is an issue all of us can relate to, as we all area part of this consumerist cycle. We buy things we don’t need because we believe it will bring us happiness, which ultimately it doesn’t. Here is a picture from the infamous Selfridges advertising campaign.

The Guardian quoted: “This year the department store is using anti-consumerist slogans to advertise its sale. How very clever...” it was a very clever strategy. (Mark hopper. 2007).

References:

·         Olagill (2010) [Online] Available at: http://pickadolla.wordpress.com/tag/barbara-kruger/ (accessed 17^th April 2012).

·         Dave [Online] (2008) Available at: http://madamepickwickartblog.com/2010/07/repressive-tolerance-disarming-those-pious-frauds/ (accessed 17^th April 2012).