Redaction Order 13769, Page 4

Student Select: Art Acquisition Trip & Fund

"Redaction Order 13769, Page 4" is a part of Johannah Herr’s Redaction Order series. In the series, Herr manipulates former President Donald Trump’s executive orders to undermine his xenophobic, discriminatory sentiments. In "Redaction Order 13769, Page 4, "Herr buries the majority of Trump’s travel ban under layers of vibrant colors and lively patterns. The resulting blackout poem reads
“It is the policy of the executive branch that / refugees / shall / determine the / process of / resettlement / expedite / entry / for all travelers / the Secretary of State shall immediately expand / the number of / immigrant visas / the Secretary of State shall adjust / to be more transparent / with the American people and to more effectively implement policies / and practices that serve the / public.”

The maximalist design in "Redaction Order 13769, Page 4" subverts the politically-charged content. Bright colors, reflective materials, and disruptive patterning create a viewer experience toggling between aesthetic design and ethical conflict. The resulting visual instability represents the friction of attempting to live ethically within systems of statehood that necessitate exploitation. By omitting the majority of the text in its original order, Redaction Order 13769 resists the anti-immigration policies and xenophobic attitudes propagated by the Trump administration.

Herr holds an MFA in sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design. Her work has been part of solo exhibitions at Field Projects, New York, NY; Geary Contemporary, New York, NY; Elijah Wheat Showroom, Newburgh, NY; and Geary Contemporary, San Francisco, CA. Her group shows include those at Emily Davis Gallery, Akroh, OH; Nuance Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria; Schema Projects, Brooklyn, NY; and Givatayim City Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel. Herr is the co-founder of Daughters Rising, an anti-trafficking, women’s empowerment organization that works with undocumented refugees fleeing genocide in Myanmar. While distinct from her artistic practices, Daughters Rising has affected how and why Herr makes art.