Items Similar to Untitled (Cathy and Shannon) - Contemporary, 21st Century, Polaroid
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 2
Stefanie SchneiderUntitled (Cathy and Shannon) - Contemporary, 21st Century, Polaroid2004
2004
About the Item
Untitled (Cathy and Shannon) - 2004
20x20cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs.
Archival C-Print, based on a Polaroid.
Certificate and Signature label.
Artist Inventory No. 3557.
Not mounted.
STEFANIE SCHNEIDER ON THE WEST, NOSTALGIA AND INSTANT DREAMS
Stefanie Schneider’s work captures the American West in a way that transcends mere documentation—it distills the mythos of the frontier into something dreamlike, deteriorating, and deeply personal. Her images evoke Ed Ruscha’s fascination with roadside Americana, Georgia O’Keeffe’s reverence for arid landscapes, and Edward Hopper’s haunting loneliness, yet they engage in a unique dialogue with history, both photographic and cultural. How did a German artist become one of the most essential voices in the visual storytelling of the American dream—and its unraveling?
Born in Germany in 1968, Schneider grew up in a divided nation, where the scars of history were still visible in the landscape. This early exposure to ruptured histories and fading ideologies may explain her pull toward the abandoned edges of the American West—a land that once symbolized limitless possibility but now bears the melancholy of faded utopias.
Schneider’s process begins in these liminal spaces—the parched deserts and forgotten highways of Southern California—where she photographs her subjects using expired Polaroid film. The very material of her work embodies impermanence and decay, its chemical imperfections mirroring the breakdown of memory and myth. In Berlin, she develops and enlarges her images by hand, bringing an almost cinematic post-production process to a medium often associated with instant gratification.
Her role in preserving Polaroid film as an artistic medium has placed her at the forefront of a historical crossroads in photography. At a time when instant film was being phased out—a casualty of digital progress—Schneider refused to let it vanish. In doing so, she not only safeguarded a crucial chapter in photographic history but also cemented her place as one of its key narrators, treating Polaroid not as a tool of nostalgia but as a medium uniquely suited to capturing time slipping away.
This tension between preservation and deterioration is central to Schneider’s work. As she told Artnet in 2014, her images are deeply personal explorations of longing, memory, and loss:
"My work resembles my life: Love, lost and unrequited, leaves its mark in our lives as a senseless pain that has no place in the present."
The notion of absence—whether in love, landscapes, or fading cultural dreams—haunts her work. Her subjects, often seen in desolate spaces—trailer parks, oilfields, run-down motels, and empty highways—appear disconnected, isolated even when together. The ghosts of American iconography—the road trip, the drifter, the neon-lit escape—are present, yet they flicker like echoes of a past that may never have existed as we remember it.
In many ways, Schneider’s vision of the American West is a farewell letter—not to the physical place, but to the idea of it. She does not merely document a landscape; she captures the moment it dissolves, leaving behind only traces of what was. In doing so, she ensures that the story of the West, much like her Polaroid film, lingers—imperfect, beautiful, and just beyond our grasp.
- Creator:Stefanie Schneider (1968, German)
- Creation Year:2004
- Dimensions:Height: 7.88 in (20 cm)Width: 7.88 in (20 cm)Depth: 0.04 in (1 mm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Morongo Valley, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU652316222402
Stefanie Schneider
Stefanie Schneider received her MFA in Communication Design at the Folkwang Schule Essen, Germany. Her work has been shown at the Museum for Photography, Braunschweig, Museum für Kommunikation, Berlin, the Institut für Neue Medien, Frankfurt, the Nassauischer Kunstverein, Wiesbaden, Kunstverein Bielefeld, Museum für Moderne Kunst Passau, Les Rencontres d'Arles, Foto -Triennale Esslingen., Bombay Beach Biennale 2018, 2019.
About the Seller
4.9
Platinum Seller
Premium sellers with a 4.7+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 1996
1stDibs seller since 2017
1,023 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Morongo Valley, CA
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllBecause I Am (29 Palms, CA) - including the book 'A Half Forgotten Dream'
By Stefanie Schneider
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Because I Am (Stage of Consciousness) - 2008
Including Stefanie Schneider's new monograph "A Half Forgotten Dream" signed. 192 pages, hardcover, published by Snap Collective, 2024.
...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Untitled (Cathy and Shannon) - Contemporary, 21st Century, Polaroid
By Stefanie Schneider
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Untitled (Cathy and Shannon) - 2004
20x20cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs.
Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid.
Certificate and Signature label.
Artist Inventory No. 2...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Waiting (Ensign Broderick record Shoot 'Blood Crush') - Bombay Beach, CA
By Stefanie Schneider
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Waiting (Ensign Broderick record Shoot 'Blood Crush') - Bombay Beach, CA - 2019
40x40cm,
Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs.
Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid.
Signature lab...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Snap–15 Minutes of Fame (Wastelands) - analog, not mounted, Polaroid
By Stefanie Schneider
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Snap–15 Minutes of Fame (Wastelands) - 4 pieces, 2003
Edition of 5,
105x100cm each, 220x220cm installed.
Analog C-Prints, hand-printed by the artist on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper,...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
$6,600 Sale Price
40% Off
Untitled (Cathy and Shannon) - Contemporary, 21st Century, Polaroid
By Stefanie Schneider
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Untitled (Cathy and Shannon) - 2004
20x20cm,
Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs.
Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid.
Certificate and Signature label.
Artist Inventory No. ...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Untitled (Olancha) - Stranger than Paradise - analog C-Print based on a Polaroid
By Stefanie Schneider
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Untitled (Olancha) - 2006,
38x37cm.
Edition of 5, plus 2 Artist Proofs.
Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist, based on the Polaroid.
Signature label and Certificate.
Arti...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
You May Also Like
YSL lipstick by Tyler Shields (photograph framed)
By Tyler Shields
Located in New York City, NY
Los Angeles-based photographer Tyler Shields seeks “beauty in chaos,” capturing both young models and celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton. His polished editorial imag...
Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Plexiglass, Archival Paper, C Print
Birkin Spill
By Tyler Shields
Located in New York City, NY
Los Angeles-based photographer Tyler Shields seeks “beauty in chaos,” capturing both young models and celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton. His polished editorial imag...
Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Plexiglass, Archival Paper, C Print
Lipstick in mouth by Tyler Shields (photograph framed)
By Tyler Shields
Located in New York City, NY
Los Angeles-based photographer Tyler Shields seeks “beauty in chaos,” capturing both young models and celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton. His polished editorial imag...
Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Plexiglass, Archival Paper, C Print
Champagne high heel by Tyler Shields (photograph framed)
By Tyler Shields
Located in New York City, NY
Los Angeles-based photographer Tyler Shields seeks “beauty in chaos,” capturing both young models and celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton. His polished editorial imag...
Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Plexiglass, Archival Paper, C Print
Triptych Indulgence series by Tyler Shields (Photography framed)
By Tyler Shields
Located in New York City, NY
Los Angeles-based photographer Tyler Shields seeks “beauty in chaos,” capturing both young models and celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton. His polished editorial imag...
Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Plexiglass, Archival Paper, C Print
Chanel legs by Tyler Shields (photograph framed)
By Tyler Shields
Located in New York City, NY
Los Angeles-based photographer Tyler Shields seeks “beauty in chaos,” capturing both young models and celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton. His polished editorial imag...
Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Plexiglass, Archival Paper, C Print
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Mens Magazine
Black White Photography Arizona
Rumanian Flower
John Lennon Yoko Ono
Saloon Sign
Jack And Marcel
Jackie Onassis
Gina Lollobrigida
Camera Work Photogravure
Dee Dee Ramone
Photography Vintage Boxing Gloves
Raymond Graber
Nirvana Poster
Dina Merrill
Vintage Black Photos
Israel Photographs
Carmel Silver
Bison Buffalo