Lot 194
  • 194

BARBARA KRUGER | We Are Public Enemy Number One

Estimate
180,000 - 250,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Barbara Kruger
  • We Are Public Enemy Number One
  • black and white photograph, in artist's frame
  • overall: 186.5 by 124 cm. 73 3/8 by 48 7/8 in.
  • Executed in 1984.

Provenance

Private Collection, Europe
Christie's, London, 18 May 1999, Lot 213
Galerie André Simoens, Knokke-Heist
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Condition

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good condition. Close inspection reveals evidence of wear in places along the frame; there are some rub marks to the upper right corner, a drying crack towards the centre of the upper edge, and a few minute nicks and scuff marks in places. Further close inspection reveals a thin scratch to the Plexiglas, to the lower right corner. Extremely close inspection under raking light reveals a few irregularities in places to the print, which appear to be original and in keeping with the artist's working process.
"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."

Catalogue Note

We are Public Enemy Number One is a powerful example of Barbara Kruger’s iconic appropriation of cultural codes and references. The image represents a looming unidentified figure behind frosted glass with a band of text in Kruger’s trademark style stating ‘We are Public Enemy Number One’. This threatening statement creates an uncomfortable sense of fear and panic and forces the viewer to question the figure’s presence and intensions. The only barrier between the intimidating and cryptic impending onslaught appears to be the solid wall it is trapped behind, taunting the viewer with its formidable shadow; intensely present yet imprisoned. The slight off-set of the photograph gives a more uneasy sense to the image. Almost viewed as a candid shot, it gives the impression that the photo might have been taken quickly, snapped in fear with no regard for composition. Kruger’s artistic life began in the early 60s, but her first intensive involvement with print media didn’t occur until she was employed as a graphic artist and picture editor by Condé Nast Publications in New York. Among the magazines she worked on were Mademoiselle and House and Garden. Her insights there into the power of images, both to deter and to seduce, were an early influence on the artist’s work. It was her work at these high profile publications that allowed Kruger to develop her trademark style of collaged found material. Clippings from books and magazines were horded by Kruger to create an immense archive of texts and images with a combination of both high end glossy magazine adverts and figurative body parts from text books and medical journals. These cuttings would be amalgamated, cropped and edited to create a final back and white image reformatted and re-photographed into Kruger’s trademark artistic lexicon.  

“We are very good mimics, we replicate certain words and pictures and watch them stray from or coincide with your notions of fact or fiction” (Alexander Alberro, Barbara Kruger, New York 2010, p. 18). Indeed, Kruger’s work focuses on connecting with the masses through established communication channels produced from our culture, which is governed by images and advertising.  With a concentration on visual media and the power of persuasion, Kruger creates images constructed for widespread diffusion of a gnomic nature. With an almost violent intent, she pushes both political and feminist views, advocating women’s rights, freedom of opinion and a critical awareness of the seduction of consumer culture. Kruger observes the media’s brazenness of cruelty, oppression and humiliation and questions any assumption of authority. She continually challenges and unmasks the media’s problematic ambiguity of their visual messages. Kruger created We are Public Enemy Number One as an example of the effect mass media has on the population; our surroundings are the product of our own downfall, our hunger and demand for immediacy has allowed global powers to dominate our intake and control our visual surroundings, becoming a formidable force of intimidation and inducement.