How does Barbara Kruger use the form of conceptual art to convey how a woman’s identity is impacted by societal standards?

In our society, women exist under strict standards challenging their self-worth and leading to their disempowerment. Unfortunately, they must conform to them in order to be considered. Barbara Kruger is an American conceptual artist originating from New Jersey known for her work that addresses societal power structures and how they impact individuals, particularly women. She uses this form of art in a minimalistic way to amplify the message rather than the artwork itself. Barbara Kruger involves her spectators by exposing them to political debates that are often unspoken. Her artworks sparked during the second wave of feminism in the 1980s as women started questioning whether gender was biological or a construct produced through representation. They realised that being a woman was determined by significant standards they would have to follow. These unwritten rules are influenced by the principle of patriarchy and aesthetic criteria created by the media changing women’s perceptions of themselves. Hence, through the concepts of identity and representation explored in her conceptual art, Kruger conveys the changing ideologies in feminism and successfully makes use of language, typography along with imagery to declare the way societal standards strip women from their identities, creating insecurity and estrangement.

Firstly, Barbara Kruger mocks how unrealistic images of women being perpetuated in patriarchal societies lead them to believe that they are worthless if they do not match this criterion, diminishing their sense of value and identity. Women are carelessly subjected to achieve female perfection. In her work, "Just be yourself", she aims to highlight how women are objectified and commodified as a young woman is displayed, blonde and skinny, matching the aesthetic criteria that society considers beautiful. The woman is Paris Hilton and is often considered the beauty standard. In this picture, she is heavily edited and is wearing makeup which is an ironic juxtaposition to the bold text "100% natural" overlaying the picture. Her use of irony critiques the notion that women should conform to her unattainable beauty standards, creating insecurities. In addition, the artwork itself is pixelated, which could portray Kruger's subtle attempt to highlight that the picture is unnatural and, therefore not something that women should be comparing themselves to. Kruger chooses Paris Hilton in the background of her collage to expose our consumerist society and the way in which sex is seen as a commodity. Paris Hilton’s seductive and alluring facial expression is a way for Kruger to imply that the way to catch society's attention is to look desirable. In fact, the intended audience is female members of society as Paris Hilton is an icon and a role model for many. Kruger condemns that within society, for a woman to be appealing, she must embody a sexual appeal. Equally, Kruger advises her female audience to maintain their authentic identity regardless of societal standards that they may face. Evidently, Paris Hilton is not representative of all women. Barbara Kruger, therefore, enlightens societal standards dictated by western white men with the aim to empower women by reassuring them that they are sufficient regardless of their physical appearance. As a result, this restores their worth and identity.

Furthermore, Kruger uses imagery from different eras where chronology is implied to represent the non-existent progress for women’s freedom of speech while denouncing the existent oppression towards them. In Kruger's work "Who does she think she is?", she defies society's standards on how a woman should act to be considered a lady. In this collage, we are presented with the features of two women overlapping each other; both pictures were taken more than 100 years apart. The women illustrated reinforce that women have been oppressed due to society's standards for centuries and our world's modernisation has had little effect on women's rights in society. Additionally, the woman’s gaze is assertive and self-determinant reflecting Kruger’s desire to challenge norms and start a revolution. Kruger wants to express our society's view that it is not "ladylike" to appear angry. The antithesis "It's time for women to stop being politely angry" is Kruger's way of challenging societal standards and standing for women. The rhetorical question in the middle of the image is arrogant as it incites that women cannot express themselves freely, which restricts their identity. Therefore, Kruger intends to discourage women from questioning their identity, as well as their authority to reach a standard and to rather focus on their values.

Consequently, Kruger represents how societal standards can devastate a woman’s identity, leading her to question her authenticity and the extent to which she can express herself in a way that is true to herself. She establishes how women are trapped into unrealistic standards creating expectations from others in her work "You are not yourself". A woman is demonstrated looking at herself through a shattered mirror. The shattered mirror can be interpreted as a metaphor for the women's identity being challenged and therefore breaking apart. Likewise, the typography of this artwork is fragmented as the letters are divided reinforcing the idea of her identity being shattered. Societal norms shape people's thoughts leading women to change themselves to match this criterion losing their true identities. The woman’s tears act as a symbol of struggle whilst she attempts to put together an identity that is true to her. Hence, Kruger's step away from her signature style of red and black reinforces the idea of the altering of her own identity along with other women in society. This underlines her choice of using a single woman’s face creating a sense of universality and making it relatable to all women. The main text's personal pronoun "You" highlights that this work is aimed at women being stripped from their identities, reminding them that they must stand up for themselves.

Similarly, Kruger displays how patriarchy reinforces inequalities and emphasizes discriminatory gender roles, which places restrictions and expectations on women's identities. In the collage "We have received orders not to move", Kruger illustrates a silhouette of a woman's body outlined by pins and leaning forward in a chair. The pins connotate restrictions preventing her from self-actualizing. Additionally, the pronoun "we" unifies all women, and the text reinforces women being constrained and immobilized in accessing freedom and power. The woman’s face is obscured representing the misery of her identity loss. Kruger created this image as an invocation of women's lack of rights and social status to the controlling structure of patriarchy. The artwork’s red outline highlights the urgence of the situation as well as the violence women experience. She implies that if women do not do as their told, they are defying societal standards which will result in them being alienated. As a result, women are subjected to a narrow and limiting definition of femininity.

Finally, Barbara Kruger portrays her opinion on reproductive freedom and reveals the erasure of conversation on abortion due to societal norms resulting in a lack of choice that women suffer from. Through her collage in the form of propaganda, "Your body is a battleground", she highlights the external political decisions made by men that have direct and indirect consequences on the bodies and lives of women. Barbara Kruger released this work during a wave of antiabortion laws at the Roe V. Wade Supreme Court decision (Miranda). The metaphor expressed in an authoritative tone in large, bold text superimposed over the image characterises the woman's body as a "Battleground" aiming to reduce the woman and her identity to a physical form. This suggests that in our society, women do not have a voice nor a chance to be themselves, reinforcing that women are being turned into political debate objects. Additionally, the woman's powerful stare is directed at the audience to represent her yearning for power and rights. The woman's face is split in half, potentially displaying the positive and negative debate on abortion. However, Kruger emphasises that no matter the woman's choice, her identity should still be valued and appreciated by members of society.

In conclusion, through the conceptual art of Barbara Kruger, she vividly expresses the impact of societal standards on women's identity. Her conceptual art during the second wave of feminism contributed to reshaping cultural attitudes and raising attention to gender stereotypes. As of today, members of our society are continuing to stand with women as the fourth wave of feminism takes its course. This highlights the timelessness of Kruger’s declarations across her art. Kruger’s critique of societal norms and expectations through powerful and provocative text and images, challenge stereotypes and biases that dictate how women should present themselves and how they should be perceived. Societal standards denigrate women's identity as they strive to conform to standards that are simply unattainable.

Miranda, Carolina A. "As Roe vs. Wade teeters, Barbara Kruger's 'Your body is a battleground' takes on urgency." Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2022, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-05-03/ roe-vs-wade-supreme-court-decision-and-barbara-kruger-your-body-is-a-battleground . Accessed 9 Feb. 2023.