Barbara Kruger is an America feminist and conceptual artist whose work challenges societal expectations and the relationship between artist and audience. Kruger, born in New Jersey in 1945, uses silkscreen prints with the imagery of mass media to confront cultural norms around consumerism and women’s rights. She uses black and white images with bold, simple captions in red and white to give a clear communication about what the piece means for her and how and what she wants the audience to see it.
One of Barbara Kruger’s most well-known works of this kind is ‘Your Body is a Battleground’, which she produced to help the March For Women’s Lives in 1989. This march was a protest to raise awareness of women’s reproductive rights. Because of this aspect of her work, she is often paired with other feminist creators of that period, including Cindy Sherman, Sherrie Levine and Jenny Holzer. As well as imagery, Kruger also uses video, audio and essays to convey her message. She remains a fierce and insightful critic of the established culture through her art, taking on themes of sexuality, identity, power and gender in modern society. She continues to confront her audience with uncomfortable truths about the way we live.
