This piece is Untitled by Barbara Kruger. This piece of work was created in 1989.

The medium
of this artwork is photographic silkscreen printing. This exhibit is at David Zwirner Gallery in
New York.

In Barbara Kruger’s Untitled piece, I see a split image of a woman’s head. In half of this

image, the picture is in black and white. The other half of her facial features a contrast, where the

black and white features are flipped from the other side. The image is split by negative and

positive exposure. Besides the face, the artwork features red details on the side and behind the

text. The text, in white font states: “Your body is a battleground”. This statement is broken up

and spaced on the image and is written in white text. While crafting this artpiece, Barbara Kruger

employed creative strategies. One of these strategies is employing a metaphor. Kruger’s piece

operates on the metaphor that women's bodies have become battlegrounds in the context of

reproductive freedom. It is a battleground as women have to fight for their reproductive rights in

a political sphere, but the battle itself concerns the body itself. This is the main contemorarty art

strategy that Barbara Kruger utlizies in her piece. This artwork has great meaning in the context

of bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. For background information, this piece was made

for the Women’s March on Washington in support of reproductive freedom. This was in protest

to anti-abortion laws attempting to combat Roe v. Wade (The Broad, n.d.). This artwork draws
attention to the fact we need to actively fight for our rights for bodily autonomy. Our body is a

battleground, and this fact can not be taken passively. Overall, I do believe this artwork will

provoke public attention as it is still relevant as it was in 1989. Additionally, I think this will

provoke public discussion as it is a controversial topic. In this country, speaking about aboriton

and reproductive rights can be seen as taboo or inappropriate. In reality, these discussions are

necessary. Bodily autonomy is a human right and the issue can not be swept under the rug.

This piece is titled The Pink Bedroom by Portia Munson. This piece of work was debuted to the
public in 2023. This exhibit resides in The Museum of Sex.

The second artwork I am looking at is Portia Munson’s “The Pink Bedroom''. This piece

portrays a bedroom filled with various pink items. The main things my eyes are drawn toward is

the array of pink shoes at the front of the bed, as well as a pink mannequin to the left, as well as

pink fabrics hanging from the ceiling. Overall, there are so many pink items that it is hard to

make them out individually. When crafting this piece, Munson utilized various creative

strategies. One of these strategies is use of unusual materials. “The Pink Bedroom” employs

many strange and unusual items within the exhibit. For example, I previously mentioned the pink

mannequin that caught my eye, but along with this there are pink feather boas, pink hula hoops,

and many more objects I can not even distinguish. The use of unusual objects catches the

viewer’s attention and draws them into the piece. This artwork is commentary on the socializaion
of girls and women in our society. Feminine presenting people are socialized to portray

themselves in an ultra-feminine and girl-ish manner. Socialization of women promotes the

concept of consumerism and the endless accumulation of stuff. This concept is directly reflected

in the artpiece as the room is filled and cluttered with pink and feminine items (GothamToGo,

n.d.). I do believe this art exhibit will promote public discussion. It is located in The Museum of

Sex, which is a common tourist attraction in New York City. Since it is a common attraction, it is

likely this piece will recieve a lot of attention. Additionally, I believe the subject of this exhibit is

easily comprehensible so many viewers will be able to connect with the artwork.

This piece is titled the Flag is Bleeding by Faith Ringgold. This piece was created by 1967. The
medium of this piece is oil on canvas. The exhibit is witht eh National Gallery of Art.

The final piece I am analyzing is Faith Ringgold’s The Flag is Bleeding. When looking at

the artwork, there are three individials featured standing against the American flag. There is a

white man, a white owmen, and a bleeding black man with a knife in his hands. Additionally, the

red stripes of the flag themselves are bleeding. The stars and the red stripes of the flag are layed

over the people, as if they are embedded in the flag. When crafting this piece, Riggold utilized

various creative strategies. The main strategy used is changing scale. The white man in this piece
is the biggest indiviudal. He has a very enlarged head and a very wide stance. This employment

of this technique could represent the power this man holds in comparison to the other individuals

on the flag. The meaning of this artwork revolves around the civil rights movement in the 1960’s.

In the artwork, the black man is pledging to the flag with his left hand over his heart, while also

covering his self-inflicted stab wound (Valentine, 2021). This imagery highlights the need for the

civil rights movement and change as when the black man pledges himself to the flag and aligns

himself with White America, he is wounded and bleeding (Valentine, 2021). While this man is

bleeding, the white individals appear unbothered. They have their arms locked with him as if

they are with him, but also do not react at all to his wounds. Overall, Ringgold’s piece draws

attention to the need for social change and awareness in the context of racism and civil rights . I

do believe that this artwork will provoke public attention because the piece is very graphic and

controversial. Many invididuals may be very offended that their country’s flag is being

showcased in this graphic light. Since there is controversy involved, I think this piece will attract

a lot of attention and discussion.

 References

GothamToGo. (n.d.). Portia Munson: The Pink Bedroom Opens at the Museum of Sex.
GothamToGo Art & Culture.
https://gothamtogo.com/portia-munson-the-pink-bedroom-opens-at-the-museum-of-sex/
The Broad. (n.d.). Untitled (Your body is a battleground). The Broad.
https://www.thebroad.org/art/barbara-kruger/untitled-your-body-battleground

Valentine, V. (2021, October 24). National Gallery of Art Acquires Faith Ringgold’s ‘Flag is
Bleeding’ Painting: May be Museums ‘Most Important Purchase of a Single Work of
Contemporary Art’ Since 1976. Culture Type.
https://www.culturetype.com/2021/10/24/national-gallery-of-art-acquires-faith-ringgolds-
flag-is-bleeding-painting-may-be-museums-most-important-purchase-of-a-single-work-of
-contemporary-art-since-1976/