Barbara Kruger’s immersive text work Untitled (Smash-up). Covering the walls and floors of the Vancouver Art Gallery’s grand circular staircase in bold black-and-white capital letters and gigantic emojis, it is the dramatic centrepiece of the VAG’s blockbuster exhibition MashUp: The Birth of Modern Culture.

First of all it is no secret for those that know me that I love type. I’m not obsessive about it — in listing off the names of fonts with friends whenever I view a book cover, film credits or advertisements. There are far too many fonts out there to keep track of anyways, plus it’s slightly annoying. But I’m certainly aware and constantly noticing the way typography is used in the world I live in—whether with craft or naiveté.

For me type is a powerful tool and Barbara Kruger thoroughly understands this and maximizes its potential to its fullest punch. Her work is big, bold, loud, and yet so elegantly simple.