Barbara Kruger

Executed in 1979, this work is unique.

Private Collection (acquired directly from the artist)
Christie's, New York, March 10, 2011, lot 26
De Sarthe Gallery, Hong Kong
Private Collection, Asia

Hong Kong, de Sarthe Gallery, Visual Language: Radical Abstraction, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Bernar Venet, December 2012 – February 2013

This work is in good condition. The end of one of the tape strips is slightly lifting, located 40 cm to the top and 20 cm to the right edges of the work. There are few small abrasions, predominately one located 5 cm to the top and 11 cm to the left edges; the other one 25 cm to the left and 15 cm to the bottom edges, consistent with the artist's working method. This work was not examined out of the frame. Framed under Plexiglas.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Since the 1970s, Barbara Kruger has boldly confronted the relationship between consumption and culture and the commodification of the latter through her text-based imageries which are witty and visually arresting. Combining commercial advertising techniques with photo collage constructed from ‘found’ pictures, Kruger utilizes concise, evocative wording to imbue the images with a multiplicity of meaning, often times challenging social, political and sexual boundaries whilst encouraging viewers to question traditional socio-cultural concepts. Having worked as a graphic designer for Mademoiselle magazine during the late 1960s, Kruger’s conflation of image and text within her work was strongly inspired by her own advertising experience.

In Untitled (Specific), words including “reason,” “power,” “progress,” “alignment” and “bias” are laid over an image of military figures, prompting the viewer to question the propagandistic nature of the imagery and the politics of both the image and the political power shown within. Such mimicry of ad-speak invokes a powerful disjunction between image and meaning, thereby exposing the inescapable conditions involved in contemporary production.