Items Similar to Tropics Motor Motel II (Memories of Green)
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5
Stefanie SchneiderTropics Motor Motel II (Memories of Green)1999
1999
About the Item
Tropics Motor Motel II (Memories of Green) – 1999
Edition 1/10
58x56 cm
Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper, based on the Polaroid
Artist inventory number: 337.01
Unmounted
Stefanie Schneider: A German View of the American West
Stefanie Schneider’s photography evokes the iconic American landscape through the eyes of a German-born artist, drawing from the profound cultural explorations of Ed Ruscha, the vivid desert landscapes of Georgia O’Keeffe, and the profound solitude found in Edward Hopper's paintings. How, then, did this German photographer come to be one of the most significant figures in the American visual narrative of the late 20th and 21st centuries?
Born in Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1968, Schneider divides her time between Berlin and Los Angeles, but her creative heart beats strongest in the American West. The arid deserts and open plains of Southern California provide the backdrop for her evocative photographs. It is here that Schneider captures her subjects on expired Polaroid film, later developing and enlarging the images by hand in her Berlin studio.
The most striking feature of Schneider’s work is the haunting color palette created by the expired Polaroids, which imbue her images with an ethereal, almost surreal quality. As Polaroid film faded into obsolescence, Schneider’s commitment to this medium earned her both respect and admiration from critics and contemporaries. Her preservation of a medium in decline has become a signature aspect of her artistry, breathing new life into a photographic tradition tied to American iconography.
At the heart of Schneider’s work is a theme of preservation and decay—both visual and emotional. In a 2014 interview with Artnet, she shared, “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.” Schneider’s photographs often feature solitary figures in desolate, apocalyptic settings: sun-bleached trailer parks, barren oilfields, empty motels, and uninhabited beaches. These backdrops convey a powerful sense of “absence”—a theme that permeates her work and which she describes as the driving force behind her art.
Schneider’s American journey unfolds through the lens of the Polaroid, with each image acting as a piece of an ongoing narrative about love, communication, sexuality, and relationships. Her use of expired Polaroid film introduces a kind of chemical unpredictability, where vibrant, surreal bursts of color splatter across the surface, upending the photo’s claim to objective reality. These chemical "explosions" induce her characters into a kind of dreamlike trance, blurring the line between the tangible and the intangible.
Her work calls to mind the flickering sequences of road movies, where the image evaporates before a clear conclusion can be reached. The ephemerality of her photographs captures the uncertainty of modern existence, refusing to settle into fixed definitions of reality, desire, or truth. Through this lens, Schneider explores the fragmented relationship between medium, viewer, and the stories told—where each viewer is invited to participate in the creation of meaning.
The notion of wabi-sabi, the Japanese appreciation of beauty in imperfection, runs through Schneider’s body of work. She embraces the “flaws,” the gaps, and the distortions—intentionally using expired film to expose the unknown. These missing fragments of the image ask the viewer to engage actively with the photograph, filling in the blanks with their own memories, desires, or interpretations. The act of filling in the gaps is personal and subjective, transforming the viewer and artist into a shared experience, bound by limitless potential. The absence becomes an invitation for introspection, where the boundaries between artist, image, and observer dissolve.
Schneider's work doesn’t simply capture moments—it invites us into a space of uncertainty, a realm of continuous transformation where the story remains unfinished and open to endless interpretations. It is within this fluidity, this ever-present sense of absence, that the true power of her art lies.
- Creator:Stefanie Schneider (1968, German)
- Creation Year:1999
- Dimensions:Height: 22.84 in (58 cm)Width: 22.05 in (56 cm)Depth: 0.04 in (1 mm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Morongo Valley, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU652315949502
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
1,015 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 AllStar 80 (Back in the 80's)
By Stefanie Schneider
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Star 80 (Back in the 80's) - 1999
48x46cm,
Edition of 10.
Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist, based on a Polaroid.
Certificate and Signature label....
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Jungle Boy (Back in the 80's)
By Stefanie Schneider
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Jungle Boy (Back in the 80's) - 1999
48x46cm,
Edition of 10.
Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist, based on a Polaroid.
Certificate and Signature label.
Artist Inventory ...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
I see you (50x50cm) - 21st Century, Women, Nude, Contemporary
By Kirsten Thys van den Audenaerde
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
I see you, 2016, Edition 1/7 plus 2 Artist Proofs
Based on an original Impossible film Digital C-print, not mounted.
Signed on the back and with certificate.
Artist inventory PL2017-...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Everlong
By Kirsten Thys van den Audenaerde
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Everlong - 2016,
Edition of 7 plus 2 Artist Proofs
Archival C-Print, based on a Polaroid.
Signed on the back and with certificate.
Artist inventory PL2016-2003.
Not mounted.
K...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Tropics Motor Motel I (Memories of Green)
By Stefanie Schneider
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
Tropics Motor Motel I (Memories of Green) - 1999
58x56cm,
Edition 1/10,
analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper,
based on a Polaroid, Artist inven...
Category
1990s Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Polaroid
Balancing act in black and white - Contemporary, Polaroid, Nude, 21st Century
By Kirsten Thys van den Audenaerde
Located in Morongo Valley, CA
'Balancing act in black and white'
2019,
20x20 cm,
Edition 1/7 plus 2 Artist Proofs,
digital C-Print based on a Polaroid,
not mounted.
Signed on the back and with certificate.
...
Category
2010s Contemporary Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Black and White, C Print, Polaroid
You May Also Like
Kate Moss 1993, For Pirelli '94, Paradise Island Bahamas, Framed Vintage Print
By Herb Ritts
Located in London, GB
For the 1994 Pirelli Calendar shot on the Paradise Island in the Bahamas, photographer Herb Ritts set out to capture in a series of nudes what he called “the gentle innocence” of Kat...
Category
1990s Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Glass, Wood, Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print
$4,043 Sale Price
25% Off
Flora 12 - Contemporary Photography, Flora, Female Nude, Tulips, Flowers, Plants
By Tortora & Travezan
Located in Brighton, GB
Please bear in mind that all prints are produced to order. Lead times are expected between 15-20 days.
Flora 12 is a vibrant Digital C-Type print in an Edition of 15.
The print is ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Color, Digital, Photographic Paper, C Print
Omnia Vanitas No.6 by Ronald Martinez - Fine art photography, still life, skull
Located in Paris, FR
Omnia Vanitas No.6 is a limited-edition photograph by French contemporary artist Ronald Martinez.
This photograph is sold unframed as a print only. It is available in one size:
*60...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper, C Print
Omnia Vanitas No.2 by Ronald Martinez - Fine art photography, still life, skull
Located in Paris, FR
Omnia Vanitas No.2 is a limited-edition photograph by French contemporary artist Ronald Martinez.
This photograph is sold unframed as a print only. It is available in one size:
*60...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper, C Print
Divine Nude No.22 by Ronald Martinez - Fine art photography, Renaissance, woman
Located in Paris, FR
Divine Nude No.22 is a limited-edition photograph by French contemporary artist Ronald Martinez.
This photograph is sold unframed as a print only. It...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper, C Print
Divine Nude No.39 by Ronald Martinez - Fine art photography, Renaissance, woman
Located in Paris, FR
Divine Nude No.39 is a limited-edition photograph by French contemporary artist Ronald Martinez.
This photograph is sold unframed as a print only. It...
Category
2010s Contemporary Nude Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper, C Print
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Vintage Blank Paper
Salvador Dali Discovering America
Salvador Dali Signed Prints Venus
Screen Where Your Heart Belongs
Sculpture Jeux
Sense Roche
Shakespeare Sonnets
Shepard Fairey 2001
Shepard Fairey Justice
Sister Corita Prints
Sister Corita
Skeleton Record
Sncf Dali
Sphinx Cat
Steel Polygonal Sculpture
Swatch Poster
Tabac Original Vintage
The Dybbuk