Untitled (We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard)

Barbara Kruger, Untitled (We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard), 1985, 9 prints, photo-offset lithograph and screenprint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, VR.1986.50A-I
Copied Barbara Kruger, Untitled (We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard), 1985, 9 prints, photo-offset lithograph and screenprint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, VR.1986.50A-I

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled (We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard)
Artist
Publisher
Peter Blum Edition
Date
1985
Location
Not on view
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums Description
9 prints, photo-offset lithograph and screenprint
Classifications
Object Number
VR.1986.50A-I
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/VR.1986.50A-I

Artwork Description

Barbara Kruger is known for pairing incisive text with found photographs, usually taken from old advertisements or magazine illustrations. In this piece, she recasts an English proverb-- "Children should be seen and not heard"--as a "we" statement of refusal and protest. The force of each word is underscored by an image of an expressive hand gesture.

Who do you think is the "we" in this statement?