The propaganda of images.

Barbara Kruger is a genius to me, a master aphorism poet, visual artist, and social critic/philosopher.

Kruger has taught me the power of images — how propaganda could be used as a weapon against us by governments, companies, and “culture vultures”. Often we think we’re buying into a culture, when in reality we’re getting suckered into buying stuff.

Practical idea: combine your own photos and text. Examples that ANNETTE KIM did for my upcoming book, THE ZEN OF ERIC.

The thing is, propaganda isn’t necessarily evil. The French use the word propaganda as meaning a message that a government usually spreads.

For example, the government telling us to be good parents and send our children to preschool sounds like good advice, but it is also propaganda.

Propaganda means to “propagate”, or to spread, or if you study the etymology of Latin (propago), it means to attach:

From prō- and Proto-Indo-European*pehǵ- (“to attach”)

So as another idea, reflect on what kind of messages or ideas you’re attaching or propagating through your photos and images.


My favorite Barbara Kruger images:

When you study her photos, meditate and reflect on these questions:

  1. Why did she pair certain images with certain images?
  2. What is her critique on American society? Do you agree or disagree?
  3. How could you make your own Barbara Kruger styled images?
  4. Why does she use the color red?
  5. Why do you think she makes her art? What do you believe is her personal philosophy on consumerism, capitalism, society, and culture?


Masters of Art


einstein-red-wallpaper-tongue

For inspiration, learn from these contemporary titans: