Barbara Kruger

How much do I adore Barbara Kurger’s intriguing artwork and stark artistic style? And yet, the reading components of her monographs are disappointing, underwhelming, and in most cases downright annoying. This not being my first go-around with the overly-academic tone that seems to overwhelm any sort of useful or interesting information or dialogue about the artist, I quickly made the decision to eschew the commentary and focus instead on the words that Kruger splashes across the page to show more far more enjoyable effect. Dominated by what seemed to be a focus on her installation pieces, with lesser representation of her printwork, this book takes us on a political and social commentary-charged journey from Kruger’s native USA to Germany, Scotland, and even to some unrealized designs that live on only in their conception. While I personally enjoy her print work best of all (my first love and obsession will forever be I Shop Therefore I Am), the immersive impact of these pieces is undeniable and without them we would be missing a crucial aspect of her critical output. I wonder if those who come across her work in the wild realize what they’re seeing, and what impact it has without a second thoughtful look, as Kruger takes obvious cues from advertising (part of her commercial background) but blends her work into the milieu of the visual landscape. Or is that, maybe, the point - to see it and forget it, but for the message to subliminally sink in. show less

Yes, Barbara, we are thinking of you… Collecting in monograph form the artist’s major solo show at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles) we are treated to an abundant selection of her thought-provoking work that has yet to be rivalled by a post-career retrospective (and let that day be far off in the future, thank you). From the very first pages we are thrown headfirst into the art, with an in-your-face full-page design that places each piece in a stark independent relief that show more mirrors the minimalism (and brutality) of Kruger’s style. Interrupting the flow of illustration after a dozen pages, we’re met with the first non-art centric text of the collection, printed on a soft green paper and carrying the voice of Gary Indiana. He speaks in general terms about Kruger’s art, painting a picture of her cultural impact that at once provides a decent artistic overview but is mired in the self-aggrandizing mode of many art critics. Thankfully his essay is short, so we don’t have to suffer too much before we’re back with Barbara. In total, there are 8 pieces of writing (including an interview with Kruger and statements from the exhibition’s organisers) breaking up what could wind up being an overwhelming amount of graphic material, which provide some interesting commentary on the various aspects of Kruger’s themes, subjects, and style. I didn’t enjoy most of the writing (I rarely do, when it comes to formal art critiques), but they at least provide a decent range of entry into thinking more critically about Kruger’s work with subjects ranging from the graphic design and “found” photo elements of her work to her place in the social milieu of the (feminist) art world. The collection itself, separated loosely into almost-visually thematic sections by the green textual chunks, shows a finite chronology of Kruger’s output - ranging from architectural installation details to her highly recognizable (and often copied) printwork, with sculptures and editorial/advertorial pieces filling in as well. Being mostly familiar with Kruger’s more graphic-oriented range, the book was an interesting revelation for me of the artist’s true depth. Some of the newer (to me) pieces were easy to put in place (such as the in situ installations which immerse viewers in her bold/harsh graphics) with what I already knew and liked, but others definitely stoke a need to explore in more depth the themes that surround and drive her artmaking as a whole. We already knew that Kruger was far more than the surface level, but the further we go down the rabbit hole of discovery the more questions we begin to have - which might be just the way to summarise the multilayered minimalism of Barbara Kruger. show less

A seminal volume celebrating the career of influential American artist Barbara Kruger, made in collaboration with the artist.

Bold, philosophical, radical, subversive: the art of Barbara Kruger focuses on decoding the social-psychological messages embedded in popular culture. Marrying pictures to words in a variety of media and sites, Kruger raises issues of power politics, sexuality, and representation. Borrowing slogans and phrases from the lexicon of thought, and using the potent weapon of show more pure graphics, Kruger’s art offers up powerfully distilled messages of word and image. This beautifully designed book is the most comprehensive volume on Kruger’s body of work to date. The book explores her work over the past thirty years, including many previously unpublished works. Aptly designed to embody a manifesto-like aesthetic, the book also presents bold spreads of the artist’s large-scale works and public projects, which confront such controversial and weighty topics as abortion, consumerism, spirituality, and identity. show less