Barbara Kruger (born 1945) studied alongside Diane Arbus but went into the field of graphic design and worked for numerous magazines. She developed what became her signature style
of work in the 80s when she stopped taking photographs and started to use American media sources for her images. She places banners across the images with direct, pithy and hard-hitting
phrases on them, often involving pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘you’ and ‘they’. Where Sherman’s images challenged aspects of modern society, these images were directly combative – often aimed at
YOU and placed so that you couldn’t avoid the question. Kruger did this by transforming normal white cube galleries into combat arenas and presenting her work as an installation.
The image below is not an installation but is equally direct, questioning female roles, identity
and task assignment.
I shop therefore I am 1987