Book Description

This is the most comprehensive publication ever produced on the work of American artist Barbara Kruger. Kruger, one of the most influential artists of the last three decades, uses pictures and words through a wide variety of media and sites to raise issues of power, sexuality, and representation. Her works include photographic prints on paper and vinyl, etched metal plates, sculpture, video, installations, billboards, posters, magazine and book covers, T-shirts, shopping bags, postcards, and newspaper op-ed pieces.

This book serves as the catalog for the first major one-person exhibition of Kruger's work to be mounted in the United States. The book, designed by Lorraine Wild in collaboration with the artist, contains texts by Rosalyn Deutsche, Katherine Dieckmann, Ann Goldstein, Steven Heller, Gary Indiana, Carol Squiers, and Lynne Tillman on subjects associated with Kruger's work, including photography, graphic design, public space, power, and representation, as well as an extensive exhibition history, bibliography, and checklist of the exhibition. The cover features a new piece by Kruger, entitled Thinking of You,created especially for the catalog.

The exhibition was organized by Ann Goldstein, curator at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Copublished with The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE:

Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
October 17, 1999-February 13, 2000

Whitney Museum of American Art
New York City
July 13-October 22, 2000 ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A bold, thought-provoking dossier of collected images
For those unaware of Barbara Kruger herself, her images will surely be familiar. Bold, seemingly simple and effortless combinations of black and white images, many culled from '50s magazines, and thought-provoking text catch the viewer off-guard and make one think hard about exactly what the artist is saying. Her themes range broadly over the spectrum of social disenfranchisement and human rights, focussing especially on women's issues. This book is a fantastic dossier of her collected images from the last few decades. They remind the reader anew of her potency as a critic of the patriarchal culture, and lose none of their impact when reproduced on a scale smaller than the original. Interspersed with essays charting the impact of her work, this catalogue provides copious illustrations of all aspects of her work. Many images are familiar, but also included are newer pieces, eg her later sculptural work, and other items of interest such as magazine layouts and book covers. At about one inch thick, the book is surprisingly light, all the better to carry around - after picking it up, you won't want to put it down! For those who have never encountered Barbara Kruger, this is an excellent, even exhaustive, place to begin. For those who know her work already, read this now and rediscover her brilliance.

Subversive Masterpiece
"Thinking of You" is an amazing look into the mind of Barbara Kruger, an artist that challenges the viewer's concepts of reality. Most of her work consists of a photo (usually black and white) with text juxtaposed on it. The book also contains explanatory notes on selected works and essays about the artist. Her work is very philosophical and subversive. A must-have for anyone who thinks outside the box. ... Read more

Book Description

It's "Business as Usual" in Kruger-land, and the artist's familiar text and found image montages still wallop a stinging punch. Her appropriated photographs and provocative text, with their confrontational graphic nature reminiscent of Dada collage and photomontage, address cultural representations of power, identity, and sexuality in the most charged of visual languages. Though the work collected here was made in the 1980s, it has unfortunatley not lost any of its relevance. Big business still rules the world and money still talks. Haliburton, anyone? Political bribery? Advertising prostitution? Money Talks is the first publication to bring together a thematic grouping of Kruger's work, and the subject chosen couldn't be more apt, not only because of current politics and economic realities, but also because it's the subject Kruger has repeatedly returned to most potently. Paperback, 8 x 12 in. / 60 pgs / 32 b&w. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

For every one who needs to think
People who don't appreciate the work of Barbara Kruger are blinded by their own bigotry, ignorance and fear to examine themself. All of her work is essential and should not be ignored by a single person. This is a great introduction to Barbara.

A NECESSARY BOOK FOR YOUR COLLECTION
"LOVE FOR SALE" THE WORDS AND PICTURES OF BARBARA KRUGER, is a ~must~ for anyone concerned with modern art, these days! Barbara constantly ~hits~ us, in full ~frontal-attack~ with her words! I was very fortunate to study under her, while attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and, MORE fortunate, today to own a couple of her original signed prints. Even my dinner guests, dining here in my home, here in Florence Italy, are left ~stunned~ and with an open-mouth, while studying her prints. BUY-THIS-BOOK-NOW...YOU WONT BE DISSAPOINTED!

Buy Me, I'll Change Your Life
Barbara Kruger's art, often pairing appropriated black & white photos with blocks of bold-faced type, has appeared on billboards, bus placards, posters, t-shirts and even shopping bags. She's big on circulating her stuff outside of conventional venues such as galleries and exhibits. This book showcases her brilliant work with plenty of full-page plates as well as photos of her installations and projects. There's a brief introduction covering her early design work for "Mademoiselle" magazine in the '60s and for various book covers in the '70s, up through her progression into the art world by the '80s. The pages of text are accompanied by assorted quotes from a variety of individuals (Edgar Allen Poe, Mae West, Sandra Bernhard). The influence of Kruger's stuff continues to turn up. Her work has been lifted for music videos (Motley Crue, Rage Against The Machine) and album covers (Snog, Consolidated), and her style is commonly imitated by lazy advertisers. This collection is an impressive and inspiring look at her career and her contribution to the world of art and design.

Barbara Kruger rocks!
I thoroughly enjoyed Love for Sale: the Words and Pictures of Barbara Kruger. It was very interesting to see the wide variety of topics that she covers in her art. Some of the statements she makes can sometimes be difficult to admit or to bring up, but she boldly states the truth of the matter. I highly reccommend this book to art students, as I am, because I think it teaches us a lesson on being brave in stating our message and opinions. Barbara Kruger is my hero, and after looking at this book, she'll be yours, too.

Love for Sale is a must for fearless readers and veiwers.

If you're not afraid to explore the darker areas of self (especially if you're a male) Kruger's work probes deep into the psyche of late 20th century patriarchal consumerism and the values of the dominant culture.

Whether you love photography or love critical theory, Kruger will delight you and disturb your idea of self as you are dazzled by starkly arranged works that appear to read you instead of you reading them. ... Read more

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on January 20, 1997. The length of the article is 579 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Una identidad mltiple. (arte contemporneo norteamericano, varios artistas, Museo de Arte Contemporneo, MACBA, Barcelona, Espaa)(TT: Multiple identity) (TA: North American contemporary art, various artists, Museum of Contemporary Art, MACBA, Barcelona, Spain)
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 20, 1997
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Issue: n621Page: p62(2)

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Print, published by RC Publications, Inc. on May 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1543 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Barbara Kruger.(Review) (book review)
Author: Paula Scher
Publication: Print (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2000
Publisher: RC Publications, Inc.
Volume: 54Issue: 3Page: 40I

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Sarasota Herald Tribune, published by Sarasota Herald-Tribune on May 9, 2004. The length of the article is 3227 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: War moms try to cope; Mothers of soldiers serving in Iraq share their longings for their children.(A SECTION)
Publication: Sarasota Herald Tribune (Newspaper)
Date: May 9, 2004
Publisher: Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Page: A14

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Print, published by RC Publications, Inc. on September 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1515 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Barbara Kruger, Artist and Social Critic.
Author: Steven Heller
Publication: Print (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 1999
Publisher: RC Publications, Inc.
Volume: 53Issue: 5Page: 68J

Article Type: Interview

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more