How does Barbara Kruger develop unique male perspectives challenging their conventional perception, in her works, Untitled (You Construct Intricate Rituals), Untitled (We don't need another hero), and We Will Not Become What We Mean to You?

Examining the ubiquity of gendered perspectives and gender binaries allows us to have a deeper understanding of prevalent positions in society. American post-conceptual artist Barbara Kruger delineates explicit feminist and social critique through her works. Kruger develops unique male perspectives and challenges conventional perception by exploring the concept of masculinity in her works Untitled (We don't need another hero), We Will Not Become What We Mean to You, and Untitled (You Construct Intricate Rituals). The concept of masculinity is further divided into three main themes - the conflict around the idea of traditional male presentation, the juxtaposition of the male and female, and the persistence of idealized male attitudes. The influence of these themes will be explored in this essay by examining complex multimodal effects to understand how Kruger's development of unique perspectives challenges conventional perceptions.a

In Untitled (We don't need another hero) (Appendix 1), Kruger traverses the concept of masculinity to examine the hypocrisy of the presentation of male personages, poised as saviours. The zoomed-in image manipulates negative space and varying contrast to spotlight the man and his action. While the image does not convey any sense of valiance, Kruger deploys an ironic tone to show how society consistently portrays an everyday man as an "another hero" 1 . The artwork utilizes the asymmetrical balance between the man and his actions to epitomize the man's undue status as a hero, solidifying that male presentation is societally linked to heroism, even if it is not validated, expressing the conflict around the idea of traditional male presentation in her works. There are two subjects within the bold statement at the bottom of the artwork, "We " 1 and "Hero" 1 , which immediately diverge into two assumed positions, one that requires aid and the other the hero; Societal standards directly define the man as a hero, and women as damsels. However, Kruger asserts that women "don't need another hero" 1 , coupled with the image, provides insight into how an ordinary man is defined as heroic, by virtue of his gender, even when women assert they do not want to be saved, which juxtaposes male and female positions in society. . The artwork also utilizes white and red to emphasize the contrast with the black and white image, which allows us to examine both elements side by side, it shows on one hand "an another" 1 man on the other a feminine subject that delineates how they "don't need " 1 the man in the image to be their hero.

Another version 2 of Untitled ( We Don’t Need Another Hero ) titled similarly, shows the image of a girl peering over the shoulder of a little boy, boasting his strength. Hence, the subject “we” is both a male and female figure; contextually, the piece emulates the Rosie the Riveter posters, which asked women to step up and take up the brunt of the work in the second world war. On the other hand, it can also be argued that the contrast shows that the subject "We " 1 is masculine, which suggests that males are pleased in their position in society and "do not need another " 1 feminist "hero" 1 that could steer them away from their idealized position in society, exhibiting the persistence of idealized male attitudes. Kruger utilizes the themes of conflicted male presentation, juxtaposed male and female positions, and idealized male attitudes to highlight the hypocrisy of male saviours, which helps develop a unique male perspective challenging the conventional perception of such saviours.

We Will Not Become What We Mean to You (Appendix 2) accentuates the absence of individual perspective in set societal cues for male presentation. Kruger alludes to femininity using silk and darkened lips; however, the draped silk conceals the figure's anatomy. The ambiguous nature of the image sheds light on the perception of qualities as strictly masculine and feminine. Here we can see that when analyzed without the presence of anatomical hints, or any societal cues, these qualities provide no insight into the gender of the person. Higher value in the corners draws attention towards the figure, isolated from any such disturbance. This work examines the concept of a normative male presentation and whether it is determined by societal cues or individual action. Hence, it offers perspective regarding the conflict around the idea of traditional male presentation in her works. Kruger references objectification regarding how societal positions are interpreted by demanding dual perspectives regarding their presentation. The use of text incorporates a sense of ambivalence. The ambiguous figures choose to adhere to anonymity by asserting they will "not become" 3 what is expected of them from "you " 3 , here you allow the subject to be all readers. It presents the dual ideology that references whether men wish to conform to the expectation of more equitable roles or whether they choose to "not " 3 conform, which juxtaposes male and female positions in society. The placement of the text superficially obscures any anatomical indication but at the same also immediately draws attention toward the text. Here, the use and placement of silk give the figure a divine and pure aura, allowing the text to portray how male figures may continue to grasp their position of superiority, idealize their attitudes, and refuse to "become" 3 equals to female figures. Her work, You are not Yourself 4 , also supports the ideas in this piece, which illustrates how a given feminine subject is an amalgamation of societal expectations when applied to the context of the inquiry, supports how people fall to form identities through the expectation of societal cues. Here the sense of societal idealization of male attitudes is explicitly felt. Kruger demonstrates how an absence of individual perspective in set societal cues for male presentation highlights the conflicted view of traditional male presentation, the juxtaposition of male and female positions, and persistent idealized male attitudes to develop a unique perspective regarding male presentation challenges conventional perception.

Untitled (You Construct Intricate Rituals) (Appendix 3) investigates the implication of a sense of romance in platonic male interactions. The artwork attests to the idea of normative camaraderie among male figures in society. Kruger utilizes the interaction between the foreground and midground to diversify the subject to all men. Using the personal pronoun "you" 5 encourages introspection on the implication of romance in platonic male interactions. The behaviour in the picture is considered wholly appropriate and provides no allusion to similar 'skinship' disallowed in homophobic groups. Further, Kruger suggests that the idea of playing sports, an "intricate ritual " 5 of rules constructed by man, promotes a sense of romance, which does not fit with the trope of traditional male friendships, adding to the argument regarding the conflict of traditional male presentation. We see men involved in what is aptly called an "intricate ritual" 5 , here Kruger references sports, contextually reserved for men. This indulgence of play is celebrated for male figures even from a young age, finding connotations of bravery and sportsmanship, yet female positions are often reduced to playing house. Here Kruger describes differentiated actions considered appropriate for male and female roles and how they manifest into differentiated positions in society, since the men are viewed as more responsible and strenuous; In contrast, the women are considered apt for domestic purposes. These artworks allow for understanding how society inherently creates a social hierarchy that results in differentiated attitudes by assuming men as saviours and explores the concept of masculinity by providing clear contrast among considered historical gender positions in society. Further, a contrast can be seen with the image and text placed side by side. The layered boxes around the sentences mirror the chaotic intertwined position of the men. Kruger utilizes a wholly black and white canvas to represent how society captions behaviours as appropriate or inappropriate. In contrast, both connotations, queer and societally acceptable male ideas of playing rough, collude to the same action, of touching "the skin of other men." 5 . This notion can also be felt in Kruger's artwork, Untitled (Who does the crime? Who does the time?) 6 , which explores how behaviours are only punishable if committed by someone who has already been viewed negatively. Kruger confirms the conflict around the idea of traditional male presentation juxtaposition of male and female and persistence idealized of male attitudes by developing male perspectives, which represent these attitudes and challenge conventional perception.

In conclusion, Barbara Kruger, through her works Untitled (We don't need another hero) 1 , We Will Not Become What We Mean to You 3 and Untitled (You Construct Intricate Rituals) 5 , develops unique male perspectives that challenge their conventional perception by examining the hypocrisy of representation of male personages and saviours, the absence of individual perspectives in set societal cues for male presentation and the implication of sense of romance in platonic male interaction. This is done by exploring the themes of conflict around the idea of traditional male presentation, the juxtaposition of male and female positions in society, and the persistence of idealized male attitudes. Kruger, therefore, deploys various multimodal, textual, and visual features to manipulate meaning through her works that push for strong feminist ideals.

• Kruger, Barbara. Untitled ( We Don’t Need Another Hero ), 1988, specificobject.com/objects/info.cfm?object_id=20368#.YUWKGGYzYgo.
• Kruger, Barbara. We Don’t Need Another Hero, 1986, arth207-spring.tumblr.com/post/51122675405.
• Kruger, Barbara. We Will Not Become What We Mean to You, 1983, www.artic.edu/artworks/184209/we-will-not-become-what-we-mean-to-you.
• Kruger, Barbara. You Are Not Yourself, 1981, whatwhywoman.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/barbara-krugers-you-are-not-yourself/.
• Kruger, Barbara. Untitled (You Construct Intricate Rituals), 1981, collections.mfa.org/objects/35582
• Kruger, Barbara. Untitled (Who Does the Crime? Who Does the Time?), 1988, artsandculture.google.com/asset/untitled-who-does-the-crime-who-does-the-time-barbara-kruger/zgEzuL3lPCO T_w?hl=en.