Born: January 27, 1945, Newark, New Jersey, USA
Nationality: American
Style: Appropriation Art, Conceptual Art, Photography
Influences: Mass media, feminism, semiotics
"I'm interested in how images and language construct meaning."
Notable Artwork
Untitled (Your body is a battleground) (1989)
About Barbara Kruger
Born: January 27, 1945, Newark, New Jersey, USA Nationality: American Style: Appropriation Art, Conceptual Art, Photography Influences: Mass media, feminism, semiotics Major Exhibitions: “Untitled (Your body is a battleground)” (1989), “We Won’t Play Nature to Your Culture” (1983), “Belief+Doubt” (2012) Quote: “I’m interested in how images and language construct meaning.”
Notable Artwork: Untitled (Your body is a battleground) (1989)
This work combines a black-and-white photograph of a woman’s face, divided down the middle, with the bold text “Your body is a battleground” overlaid in white Futura Bold Oblique font on a red background.
Significance
Kruger’s work is known for its powerful use of text and image to address issues of power, gender, consumerism, and identity. Untitled (Your body is a battleground) was created for a pro-choice march on Washington, and it has become an iconic image of feminist art and activism. While she appropriates the style of mass-media advertising, she subverts its message.