Barbara Kruger(b. January 26, 1945, in Newark, NJ) is an American conceptual artist. As a quintessential representation of the Pictures Generation, Kruger has formed her iconic pithy and assertive slogan style since the 1980s. Her subversive and provocative works about avant-garde topics: feminism, consumerism, individual autonomy and desire often include symbolic pronouns such as "you", "your", "I", "we" and "they" to metaphorize the cultural constructions and institutional social issues.
Kruger attended Syracuse University and Parsons School of Design in the 1960s. Shortly after, she worked as a designer and pictural editor in several influential magazines and publishers in New York, like Condé Nast, Mademoiselle and House and Garden, Aperture.
In 1969, Barbara started exploring her potential as an artist by applying feminist reclamation elements, such as sequins, yarn, feathers, beads and ribbons. Marcia Tucker included her early works in the 1973 Whitney Biennale.
Barbara Kruger rose to prominence in the 1980s with her succinct prints with juxtaposed black and white found photographs with bold and invented texts. Due to the public attention to her unconventional creations, she represented the United States at the Venice Biennale in 1982 and was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. In addition, multiple world's most prestigious museums have her solo exhibitions, like the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
In 2021, the hammer price of her work was 1.2 million in Christie's and Time magazine included her in the annual 100 Most Influential People.
