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Barbara Kruger

BARBARA KRUGER

Untitled (Shafted) Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles
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Press Release

Barbara Kruger’s Untitled (Shafted) features her distinctive use of advertising text and sharp, poetic phrases that criticize consumerism, misogyny, power, and desire. Commissioned by LACMA in 2008, this monumental installation occupies the full elevator shaft of BCAM and utilizes the architecture to a powerful end. While visitors wait for the elevator to arrive—on any of the three floors—they are visually bombarded with messages about consumption and consumerism.

Beginning at the top, the George Orwell quote “If you want a PICTURE of the future, imagine a boot stomping on a human face, forever” is emblazoned amid an image of a man’s eyes. Then a litany of common products run the length of the shaft and are bisected by the phrase “PLENTY SHOULD BE ENOUGH—RIGHT?” Vibrant red punctuated with bands of black and white text grant Kruger’s work a commercial-savvy punch that aims right at the heart of society’s power structures.

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About the Artist

Barbara Kruger is an American artist well known for her provocative text-and-image collages that confront power, consumerism, and identity.

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About the Gallery

Founded in 1965, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is a cornerstone of cultural life in California and the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of more than 150,000 objects spanning ancient to contemporary art. Reflecting the city’s diverse communities, LACMA has developed particular strengths in Asian art, Latin American art—from pre-Columbian works to modern and contemporary practice—and Islamic art, alongside significant holdings in European and American art, photography, film and media, decorative arts, and design. Together, these collections position LACMA as a key destination for visitors seeking major art museums in Los Angeles.

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Address
5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles
United States
Opening Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 11 am–6 pm
Friday: 11 am–8 pm
Saturday, Sunday: 10 am–7 pm
Closed Wednesday
(1)
Los Angeles 5905 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles County Museum of Art contemporary art institution in Los Angeles United States
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States
323 857-6000
http://www.lacma.org/

Opening hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 11 am–6 pm
Friday: 11 am–8 pm
Saturday, Sunday: 10 am–7 pm
Closed Wednesday
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