Learning, Unlearning, Relearning: Meditating on America’s Past and Present

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.

National Color Day, by Gaby Sanclimenti ‘25