Conceptual artist
Barbara Kruger (American, born January 26, 1945) is best known for her layered photographs, featuring provocative statements on issues surrounding commercial culture, feminism, and identity politics. Kruger was born in Newark, NJ, and studied art at Syracuse University, the School of Visual Arts, and Parson’s School of Design, under
Diane Arbus (American, 1923–1971). She spent several years working as a graphic designer and artistic director for publications, such as
Mademoiselle,
House and Garden, and
Aperture.
At the same time she gained critical recognition for her photographic and screenprinted works, in which she layered found images from commercial sources and overlaid them with
short, challenging phrases, such as “You are a captive audience,” and
“I shop therefore I am”. Kruger’s work powerfully examines individual participation within
consumer and media culture, and provides a forceful feminist critique. She has exhibited her work at the Museum of Modern Art and the International Center for Photography in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the National Center for Contemporary Art in Grenoble, France, and at the Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland, among other institutions. Her work has also been reproduced on billboards, t-shirts, and other public venues. Kruger currently lives and works in Los Angeles and New York.