Portfolio Book - Large Landscape

During the 45th presidency of the United States of America, chaos, crises, and catastrophes characterized the administration. In this book, Sarah Schneiderman uses her artwork to investigate the tumultuous four years of Trump’s presidency.



Poignant text about the subject matter accompanies Sarah’s visually disturbing portraits of political figures. The sometimes fractured nature of the images and the use of ordinary trash refers to the dumpster fire that was the 45th presidency. From the start, the rapid turnover of significant staff and unfilled positions destabilized governmental norms. Sarah’s portraits, comprised of recycled materials and garbage, portray the cult of personalities with the most mediocre materials possible, disentangling reality from delusion. Sarah uses everyday debris for these portraits. With the accompanying, she text points to the lack of qualifications of many of 45’s appointments. Sarah neither glorifies the personnel by depicting them in revered mediums such as oils or bronze castings nor exalted descriptions. She lumps the unqualified with those who stood up to the president, creating confusion for the viewer that many people felt during 45’s administration. Are these people faithful to the president or their ethics and commitment to their jobs? Is the use of detritus pointing to the president’s garbage appointment or referencing how 45 lay waste to so many well-meaning and hard-working people?