Although the image referred to in this text is often called Your Body is a Battleground, the original image, created for a pro-choice march by artist Barbara Kruger, was untitled (Drohojowska-Philip). The image, created in 1989, is a photographic silkscreen on vinyl, and shows a black and white image of a woman overlaid with red and white text (Drohojowska-Philip). The original image is a perfect square, and a relatively large piece, measuring 112 inches by 112 inches. The woman’s face is split down the middle, with the left half a black and white image of the woman and the right half showing the negative of the same photo (Drohojowska-Philip).
This piece of art can certainly be considered fine art, although it also contains elements of popular culture. It is impossible to detach the art from its original use-- a sign at a pro-choice rally-- but that does not negate its existence as fine art. It is certainly not kitsch, as it contains original elements, and is not a reproduction merely for the sake of reproduction; one could easily consider this a piece of modern art with a highly feminist sentiment. A piece like this one would not be out of place in a major modern art gallery, and the addition of the text does not cheapen the piece; instead, it gives it another layer of depth that the viewer must delve into to truly understand the message of the artist.
In the literal sense, Your Body is a Battleground is Kruger’s interpretation of the pro-choice movement. The text indicates her feminist sentiment: that those in power are trying to legislate a woman’s right to her body and her destiny. The positive and negative halves of the portrait represent the possible outcomes of the conflict, with the positive side showing the woman winning the battle that politicians and society is waging on her, and the negative side showing her losing the battle.
The image is very vertical, and framed vertically in red; in addition, the image is split along the vertical axis, as though splitting the woman in two. The texture of the image is reminiscent of Warhol’s comic strips. The woman stares, not at the camera, but slightly above it; her face is set in an expression of fierce determination (Drohojowska-Philip). The rule of thirds is used in the image via the text, which runs along the top, middle, and bottom of the image. In all, the image is very balanced between the red bars of text and borders with the black and white image. It is a very striking and unforgettable image, which is, undoubtedly, the purpose of the artist.
Based on the formal characteristics of this particular piece, the meaning of the piece is clear: there is a war on women, and women are fighting a battle that is currently neck and neck. It calls to arms every woman, forming them into an alliance and reminding them that they are affected by this war as well, not only other women. In addition to acting as a warning, this image is a type of reminder that women should be forming a sisterhood, as they are all affected by issues like abortion. The title, although added after the creation of the piece, echoes the sentiment that the artist clearly felt while creating the piece; her words were chosen very carefully, and they continue to be impactful to this day.
Works cited
Drohojowska-Philip, Hunter. "She Has a Way With Words." October 17. 1999. Web. 28 Feb 2014. <http://articles.latimes.com/1999/oct/17/entertainment/ca-23087>.
Unknown. "Barbara Kruger - The Broad Art Foundation." Broad Art Foundation, 2014. Web. 28 Feb 2014. <http://broadartfoundation.org/artist_43.html>.
