KrugersDifferences

Barbara Kruger’s photographs have an unbelievably uncanny way of turning gender identity into a much more complex discussion of how we construct our own identities, and challenging us to reexamine our gender specific roles. The first photograph displays an iconic image of someone holding up the torch, with a heart shaped object in the background. The text which is equally as important as the image says, “Your moments of joy have the precision of military strategy”. This sentence combined with the visual imagery made me think of how women’s routine practices of baking Thanksgiving dinner, executing the “perfect” plan to find the “perfect” husband, or simply putting together a fashionable outfit with matching hair and makeup, ultimately become a series of strategic steps within a formulated plan. The ritual practices of a housewife in the fifties were all about keeping a tidy home with everything in its right place, making sure the children were bathed and ready for bed, while keeping up appearances to please your husband with a satisfying dinner and late night romp in between the sheets. The text in Kruger’s image ridicules perfectly the joy of being a housewife. With so many mundane yet arduous tasks to conquer, a woman’s joy/pride can be looked at as being similar to military strategic planning. In order to get to everything there must be a plan of execution, a target goal of things to be accomplished, and finally a victorious outcome.The message means that even though as a woman you may not be flying fighter jets nor dropping bombs on the enemy, the simple tasks of an everyday house wife becomes arduous, involving meticulous planning.
In the second photograph, Kruger has juxtaposed an image of explosives going off with the words, “Your manias become science”. This points directly to existing male domination in the fields of math and science and beyond. Young boys like to blow shit up, destroying or deconstructing whatever they can get their hands on. The seemingly innocent gender roles that they take on at an early age continue through adulthood, motivating them to continue their curiosity and exploration through prospective career fields. Their “manias” of mayhem that were inconsequential at age five are heightened when given the opportunity and power to produce results. This image shows the patriarchal pedestal males are put on, reinforcing the fact that math and science fields have been largely dominated by men throughout history, which in turn has given them power over women. Their gender specific role of being the hero, the great warrior, the one who saves us in a time of crisis has become a means to justify violence as a way of protection and security.
kaitig