Chaos, crises, and catastrophes characterized the administration of the 45th president (Trump) of the United States of America. Sarah Schneiderman uses her artwork as a relevant reflection of what we need to work hard to avoid in the future.

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 and everyday debris 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. She uses the illusion of representation to belie the reality of waste from which these portraits are made. 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 appointments or referencing how the former president lay waste to so many well-meaning and hard-working people?