Reyes 3

Leonardo ReyesProfessor HoodENGL 099August 6, 2015Should Barbara Krugers art be displayed at AVC?Barbara Kruger is an American artistborn in New Jerseyand considered by most art critiques as a conceptual artist. A great percentage of her art work is composed of black and white photographs with juxtaposition images yet thought provoking captions which challenge certain social norms. Within these social norms, she deals with sexual issues, self-perception, politics, and social ongoing political, social, religion, gender, stereotypes, consumerism, corporate greed, and especially feminist provocations. Most of her art work address social, political, and cultural issues that the public fails to fully address. However, she masterfully addresses such issues and expresses it through her artwork in a bold and daring manner which challenges the viewer to think on such matters.The phrases in her art workswhich are overlaid over the collection of several photographs often include pronouns such as "you", "your", "I", "we", and "they", addressing some of the cultural infrastructure of power, identity, and sexuality. In addition, her collection of photographs express some of the most unexpressed thoughts of our society. When one looks at Barbara Krugers art work and photography one can easily understand and comprehend the inexpressible thoughts of the social and socioeconomic world. One of her classic and most renowned works are the following: I shop, therefore I am, Pro-life for the unborn, pro-death for the born, your assignment is to divide and conquer, your manias becomes science, you make history when you make business, among other thought provoking conceptual images. All of which provoke the art appreciator to think outside the box. However, the question we are going to be addressing in this paper is whether or not the Antelope Valley College should bring some of her art work into the Library considering the controversy that this might arise as has been the case with some of her artwork. Before one can address the question of whether the Antelope Valley College should host some of Barbara Krugers art work in the library, is important to realize the function and purpose of a library in the light of the historical heritage of the library of Alexandria which is considered to be the model for todays libraries. In essence, the function of the Antelope Valley College Libraryor any other public or non-public library is to be an opportunity to broaden and expose the public or its students to new ideas and also to stimulate the human yearning for the acquisition of knowledge and information. In a journal by Demas, he makes an interesting correlation between modern libraries and the ancient Library of Alexandria. He states the following in relating the essence of the Alexandrian library: Until recently, this ancient ideal of libraries as ecumenical centers of art, culture, research, and learning was preserved primarily in the great, freestanding national libraries and private research libraries of the world. According to the book titled The Library of Alexandria: Centre of Learning in the Ancient World it states on how the library was a center for information, culture, and art. Interestingly enough, the original concept of the library has been lost as we entered the digital age. However, according Demas, there has been a recent reevaluation of the meaning, significance and purpose of the library as the population is realizing the change on how students learn, how they use information, and how they participate in their society and use the information acquired. Consequently, libraries are beginning to seek for innovating alternatives to restore sections of the library's lost historic role as an institution for learning information, culture, and art. This connection however has nothing to do with avoiding digital content, or the use of innovative tools to encourage students to learn and research but rather to provide studentswhether it be by new tools or artworkwith an environment which will invite them to step outside their comfort zone and challenge old ideas. As the residents of the city of Lancaster continue to expand and broaden the librarys services; the addition of Barbara Krugers artwork would be a great addition the Antelope Valley College. By adding Krugers art, it would expose the students and visitors to an updated and contemporary artist which depicts todays modern social issues. Moreover, by acquiring some of Barbara Krugers art work would be an inspiration to thousands of students as they enter to the very institution who claims to be the gate to learning and expanding the humans intellectual horizons. By adding Krugers work, it will provide students with an ice breaker as they use the library to research and challenge their reasoning.