Cleaning the Drapes Possibly 1967 - 2007

"Cleaning the Drapes" is a 1967-2007 photomontage by Martha Rosler. The artwork juxtaposes a scene of soldiers in a war zone, likely the Vietnam War, with a woman cleaning drapes with a vacuum cleaner. Rosler’s work is known for its critical examination of consumer culture and its relationship to violence, and this piece is a prime example. The juxtaposition of the domestic with the military highlights the unsettling normalcy with which violence is often accepted in society. The work is often interpreted as a critique of the desensitization that can occur when violence is continually presented as a normal part of life.