Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Barbara Kruger. It dates from 1985 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The image is layered over a blurred, blue-toned portrait of shoulders and a face, partially obscured by bold black horizontal stripes at the lower edge.
Untitled is a 1985 print by Barbara Kruger, part of a nine-piece portfolio combining offset lithography and screenprinting. It features a hand gesturing a peace sign, with the word 'We' printed in red across the thumb. The image is layered over a blurred, blue-toned portrait of shoulders and a face, partially obscured by bold black horizontal stripes at the lower edge. The composition merges photographic realism with graphic text, characteristic of Kruger’s signature aesthetic.
Subject & Meaning
The hand pointing to 'We' invites reflection on collective identity and authority. The peace sign, often a symbol of unity, is subverted by the impersonal pronoun 'We,' suggesting institutional or societal pressure. The obscured face implies anonymity within groups, while the black stripes act as visual barriers, questioning boundaries of inclusion and exclusion. The work critiques how language constructs power dynamics in everyday life.
Technique & Style
Kruger employed offset lithography and screenprinting to layer photographic imagery with bold, sans-serif text. The blue-toned portrait is softened through blurring, contrasting with the sharp, high-contrast red and black typography. The use of minimal color—blue, white, red—heightens the graphic impact. Stripes at the bottom function as both compositional framing and metaphorical division, reinforcing the tension between image and text.
History & Provenance
Created in 1985, Untitled belongs to a portfolio produced during Kruger’s rise in the 1980s art scene, when she increasingly engaged with mass media aesthetics. The work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation, reflecting institutional recognition of her critical approach to visual culture. It remains part of MoMA’s permanent holdings, frequently included in exhibitions on postmodern printmaking and feminist art.
Context
This piece emerged amid growing discourse on media manipulation, gender roles, and consumer culture in the 1980s. Kruger drew from advertising, magazine layouts, and political posters to reframe public messaging. Her use of declarative text over photographic imagery challenged traditional art hierarchies, aligning with feminist and semiotic critiques of the era. The work reflects a broader shift toward conceptual, text-based practices in contemporary art.
Legacy
Untitled exemplifies Kruger’s enduring influence on contemporary visual language. Her fusion of text and image has shaped how artists address power, identity, and media. The work’s directness and formal clarity continue to inform graphic design, activism, and institutional critique. Its presence in major collections underscores its role in redefining print as a vehicle for social commentary rather than decoration.
Artist & collection
Artist
Barbara Kruger is an American conceptual artist and collagist associated with the Pictures Generation.
