Barbara Kruger

I can't believe I didn't know her name before yesterday! I have seen these images online, on T-shirts, mugs, billboards etc. and I've never known the artist that created them. I have enjoyed reading about her this evening. I've learnt that she is a conceptual/pop artist from New Jersey. She makes art about feminism and consumerism (I make art about consumerism, and am beginning to make art around feminist ideas and the representation of women in the media, so I am extremely happy to know about her work) as well as classicism and desire. Most of her well recognised works are black and white photographic images behind bold white text, which is usually highlighted red. This reminds me of presenting important headlines in the media. She uses short, fierce, sometimes very ironic text and chooses to use images from the mass media, although her art work is critiquing it.


I will now be using Barbara Kruger in my studio research as she is very inspiring for my own personal art making. Thank you Sally!

Image from my Contextual journal

Barbie

I am currently making artwork about the illusion of perfection in the media in regards to woman's body image. I have started to use a barbie doll to visualise certain messages in my art. I have made this Barbara Kruger inspired photo or Barbie, in response to her photo which says 'Your body is a battleground'.

I am actually quite unsure what exactly Kruger meant by 'You're body is a battleground'. I think calling a women's body a battleground, is a metaphor that encompasses many different meanings to different individuals. I initially interpreted it to mean that women are at a constant battle between their body and themselves and their body vs. the media. The fight between a real female body and the unrealistic 'ideal' body presented by the media. It may also be linked with a battle between a woman and the 'male gaze'. After thinking about it in relation to second wave feminism, I think their could be possible response to the legal protection of a woman's body. Rape and physical abuse in marriage had only recently been made illegal, and even then, not many men were prosecuted. I think of a battleground as being a place of injury, so domestic abuse now comes to mind when I see her image.

 I read further into Barbara Krugers' ideas and found that she made a lot of work about consumerism. With this in mind, it led me to believe that this image could be more about the male gaze and how a woman's body is an object that is bought and sold through advertising. When a woman's body is made into an object or used to sell a product, the consumer (usually focused on male consumption) is almost promised that he will get the girl as well as the product. The back and forth between bought and sold might be what Kruger was referring to when she stated 'battleground'.

I am still unclear, but I like art that does leave questioning in the viewer. I feel that the ability to create a discussion with a viewer, is one of the most impressive art techniques that I wish to conquer.

I made my Kruger-inspired photograph of Barbie, with the text 'My body is not a battleground' before I sat down and analysed what Kruger may have been saying. I went with my first impression. This interpretation was that a woman's body is a battleground because of the constant fight between 'real' and 'ideal', between herself and the media. I made Barbie say those words to respond to the confidence we will supposedly achieve when we reach the 'ideal' body. Barbie's body is represented as a smooth, thin, sleek frame, clean of cuts and scars and blemishes - apparently perfect for a woman whose wish is to be accepted. I wanted her to state that she is no longer at war with herself and the media, as she has achieved what society wants. This is not supposed to make women feel worse, nor is it supposed to make them think they will never be as happy as Barbie's painted smile. The Barbie doll is also known as being obviously false, artificial and unrealistic, so I wanted female viewers to understand that to conform with medias' ideal image, means to be a lifeless, unnatural being. It is completely unrealistic for all women to live in the body that is considered acceptable.  

- I just quickly want to state that I am a huge believer of body diversity. There is absolutely nothing wrong with woman's body types that are naturally thin and slender. I just believe that more than one body type should be celebrated as beautiful.