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I shop therefore I am

Carrier Bag
ca. 1993 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This carrier bag was produced for the Spanish department store Vinçon. Kruger's ideas have often appeared in non-art contexts, and the image on the bag has also been used as a postcard and on T-shirts. The image is a reproduction of Kruger's 1987 photo-collage Untitled (I shop therefore I am) - a radical take on the famous proposition 'I think therefore I am' made by the 17th-century French philosopher Descartes. This is one in a series of works in which Kruger has addressed the topic of money and consumer culture.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleI shop therefore I am (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Offset half-tone line block, printed in red, grey and black
Brief description
Print after Barbara Kruger, 'I shop therefore I am', carrier bag for the Vinçon department store, Barcelona. ca. 1993
Physical description
Red carrier bag with name of department store printed black overphotographic montage of a hand (printed in grey) holding a card with the slogan 'I shop therefore I am' in white letters on red ground.
Dimensions
  • Bag only height: 48.3cm
  • With handles height: 58.6cm
  • Width: 44.6cm
  • Depth: 16cm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
Lettered 'Ind. Bolsera (93) 574 18 00 made in Spain 4'
Subjects depicted
Literary referenceDescartes, René. Discours de la Methode. 1637
Summary
This carrier bag was produced for the Spanish department store Vinçon. Kruger's ideas have often appeared in non-art contexts, and the image on the bag has also been used as a postcard and on T-shirts. The image is a reproduction of Kruger's 1987 photo-collage Untitled (I shop therefore I am) - a radical take on the famous proposition 'I think therefore I am' made by the 17th-century French philosopher Descartes. This is one in a series of works in which Kruger has addressed the topic of money and consumer culture.
Bibliographic references
  • Timmers, Margaret (Ed). Impressions of the Twentieth Century: Fine Art Prints from the V&A's Collection. London, V&A Publications, 2001.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings Accession Register for 1995
Collection
Accession number
E.2830-1995

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Record createdDecember 17, 2002
Record URL
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