Barbara Kruger

Kruger work engages the merging of found photographs from exsisting sources were she use agrresive text that invovles the viewer in the struggle for power and control that her captions speak to. Kruger's work is instantly recognisable with the trademark of "white letters against the slash of red background "

Her work very much speaks out against views of feminism and consumerism, although her black and white images are culled from mainstrem magazines that sell the very ideas she is disputing.

For the past decade Kruger has created immersive video and audio instillation . Envelloping the viewer with the seductions of direct address, her work is consistently about kindness and brutalities of social life: how we are to one another

I have posted up a couple images of Barbara Krugers work the top images being the most recent (2010) and down towards the bottom her earlier work (1980) from what i can see it doesnt seem like her technique or style has changed over the years. But one thing i do know her messages are not subtle they are as clear as day expecially her views on feminism and consumerism. I enjoyed looking at her work it was a change from all else ive seen.

KEHINDE WILEY

Kehinde Wiley is a New York based painter who is known for his paintings of contemporary urban African men in poses taken from the annals of Art History, his paintings have been compared to various traditional portraitists such as Reynolds, Gainsborough, Titan and Ingres.

Kehinde Wileys paintings are based around photographs of young men Wiley sees on the street, Rileys work has significance to paintings of the renaissance, French rococo and Hip hop culture.

His work is often blurred the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation.

how does the post modernism theme pluralism relate to Kehnde Wileys work?

definition according to Cadwell (1999)

Pluralism in art refers to the nature of artforms and artists as diverse. The cultural context of art is all encompassing in its respect for the art of the world's cultures. Inclusion of individuals of differing ethnicities, genders, ideologies, abilities, ages, religions, economic status and educational levels is valued. Pluralism honours differences within and between equitable groups while seeing their commonalities."

Wileys work has a street like hip hop culture feel to it but he uses reference to the renaissance by painting black or brown men featuring in a british/renaissance like background that conflicts/contrasts one another. Riley describes his approach as "interrogating the notion of the master painter, at once critical and complicit." Wiley figurative paintings " quote historical sources and position young black men within that field of power." in this manner, Wileys paintings fuse history and style in a unique and contemporary manner"