In 1895, Norwegian expressionist Edvard Munch created a pastel version of his iconic image, Der Schrei der Natur. In it, he depicted an infinite scream passing through nature.
Today, that scream reverberates in outrage over the erosion of our democracy and the damage to our nation’s dignity caused by our current administration. I have re-created this iconic masterpiece using Donald Trump quotations. UnPresidented codifies this unparalleled moment in history.
Ink and graphite on Paper
21″ x 16.5″
A Brief Tour:
1. The sky begins with his querulous comments about the inauguration crowd size and is home to quotations during the first three years of his administration, including such memorable topics as forcing Mexico to pay for the wall.
2. The main figure’s face captures Trump’s most revealing self-observations. One eye spells “stable,” the other “genius.” Access Hollywood is on the chin, and his declaration of being able to go out onto Fifth Avenue and shoot someone forms the figure’s jawline.
3. His hyperbole delineates the figures in the distance: each shape represents a March press conference, but only the adverbs and adjectives.
4. The green swirling water is home to rantings about the press and Fake News.
5. The railings and sidewalk offer a Covid-19 timeline, showing the pandemic’s devastation unfolding slowly, inexorably. The timeline begins to the right of the distant figures, with the January 22nd quotation, “We have it totally under control. It is just one person coming in from China.” Sadly, we all know what follows.
The double entendre title, UnPresidented, is both descriptive and aspirational.