Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger’s characteristic confrontational text has appeared on posters, billboards, protest signs and the sides of buses. She prints declarative, accusatory and aphoristic statements in bold, high-impact typefaces intended to appeal directly the viewer. After studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, Kruger found employment doing graphic design for magazines, and much of her later work is at once a mimicry and a mockery of print advertisement. Consumerism and gender are her frequent subjects. Kruger is an American feminist icon, and has received significant recognition throughout her long career. She was honored with the 2001 MOCA (L.A.) Award to Distinguished Women in the Arts, and the Leone d’Oro for lifetime achievement at the 2005 Venice Biennale. Kruger has held teaching positions at institutions such as UC Berkeley, UCLA and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was born in Newark, New Jersey, and now divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles.