Review of Barbara Kruger at MoMA
On view at the MoMA from July 16, 2022, to January 2, 2023, Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. examines issues of power within society and popular culture through the use of text. This exhibition is a large-scale immersion within the Donald and Catherine Marron Family Atrium with printed vinyl covering the space including the floor. The atrium has windows into the other galleries on the upper floors, allowing visitors a birds-eye perspective of the exhibit. This altering and plethora of perspectives allow viewers to engage with the theme of the exhibit, connecting the viewers directly to the art through the repeated “you” statements. Kruger highlights the power dynamics within popular culture through this diction by using provocative statements that directly tie the artist and the audience.
Kruger’s diction in the work responds to art being seen and the idea of gaze with phrases that direct the gaze within art back to the viewer and their conscience. “YOU. YOU KNOW THAT WOMEN HAVE SERVED ALL THESE CENTURIES AS LOOKING GLASSES POSSESSING THE MAGIC AND DELICIOUS POWER OF REFLECTING THE FIGURE OF MAN AT TWICE ITS NATURAL SIZE.” the quoted phrase directly references the use of the female figure as a tool for men in power to project certain agendas through. The figure is also mentioned on another wall below this circle with the statement, “THIS IS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIGURE AND THE BODY”, that the figure in art is a distortion of the female body, again to be used as a tool. The first statement is printed in a large circle contrasted against a newspaper-type print. The font is distorted to fit the circle with the first “YOU” being the largest word at the top. There are two other large circled “YOU” statements with similarly charged statements within them, the font still distorted to with the large “YOU” at the top. These circular statements break the linear structure of most statements throughout the atrium. This play of shape with the circle as a looking glass highlights the involvement of the viewer as a part of the exhibit.
The majority of statements Kruger gives us are presented in a linear typography that alternates black and white text, referencing her previous work with images. She places a large statement on the floor that says, “IF YOU WANT A PICTURE OF THE FUTURE, IMAGINE A BOOT STAMPING ON A HUMAN FACE, FOREVER.” This quote taken from George Orwell has an ironic placement as we stamp across it to view the exhibition. The words are so large that you must walk over and around the quote to even read it, forcing the viewer to take action to interact and understand the piece. Kruger also places a few smiley faces on the walls of the exhibit, some with their eyes x’d out possibly related to this quote on the ground.
Women are mentioned a few times throughout the walls, one that particularly stands out alongside the ideas presented in the exhibit is the phrase, “WAR FOR A WORLD WITHOUT WOMEN '' which is said at the end of a list of war categories. This list stretches down a side wall finally ending with “WAR FOR ME TO BECOME YOU” with the ‘me’ and ‘you’ both x’d out with green vinyl. This idea of war can be perceived as the act of art, as art being a vicious battle. Kruger here is asserting that the act of making art as well as the act of viewing art are conscious acts that can either coincide with or directly challenge the power structure of our society. With these “me” and “you” statements, Kruger is forcing the viewer to think about their position in society by positioning them physically in the narrative.
In conclusion, Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. takes full control of the atrium to immerse the audience in her art. This immersion forces the viewer to consider their placement surrounded by and atop the art. Kruger interacts with her audience through her powerful statements that invoke curiosity and awareness of positioning.