Stefanie Schneider Art

Toy Boat (Zuma Beach) - 2004 29x28cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Inventory #2689. Not...

Bells Ringing (Sidewinder), 2005 - Edition 2/5, 104x424cm (installed), each piece 48x46cm, 16 analog C-Prints, based on 16 expired Polaroids, hand-printed by the artist on Fuji ...

Untitled - Renegade (The Last Stand) - 2004 20x20cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Signature label and Certificate. Artist inventor...

Romina's Wedding Day (29 Palms, CA) - 2013 Including Stefanie Schneider's new monograph "A Half Forgotten Dream" signed. 192 pages, hardcover, published by Snap Collective, 2024. ...

Thunderbird Motel (The Last Picture Show) Edition 8/10, 20x20cm, 2005, digital C-Print, based on an expired Polaroid Signature label and Certificate, Artist inventory 1110.16 not mou...

Henry watching Athena Dance (Stay) - 2006 48cx6cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs, Archive C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Inventory #5...

Untitled (Traintracks) - The last Picture Show - 2004 50x50cm. Edition of 5, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Signature label and Certificate. Artist...

Desert Bike Biscuits riding in the Folly of Illusions (Till Death do us Part) - 2005 20x24cm, Edition of 10. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Certificate and Signature la...

A Vision you can't Capture, no 03 (29 Palms, CA) - 2007 125x172cm, Edition 1/5. Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist, based on the Polaroid. Mounted on Aluminum with matte...

Indian Summer (The Last Picture Show) - 2004 20x20cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Artist Inventory No. 459. Not mounted. Ste...

Shadows (Cyndi Lauper) from the 'Bring Ya to the Brink' record Album) - 2009 48x47cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print based on the Polaroid. Signature label an...

Radha doing her Nails by the Pool (29 Palms, CA) - 1999 78x76cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. ...

Long Way Home (Stranger than Paradise) - 1999, 3 x 58x56cm, installed 58x180cm, sold out Edition of 10, last Artist Proof 3/3. 3 Analog C-Prints, hand-printed by the artist, base...

'Farewell' (Haley and the Birds) - 2013 125x160cm, Edition of 5, analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist on Crystal Fuji Archive Paper, based on the Polaroid. Signature label ...

2 Stefanie Schneider's Minis from the Beachshoot: The Diva and the Boy signed on front, not mounted Lambda digital Color Photographs based on original expired Polaroid photographs P...

Locker Room (Suburbia) - 2004 50x50cm, Edition of 10, Archival C-Print based on the Polaroid, Not mounted, Certificate and signature label. Artist Inventory No. 2757. This proj...

Tree in the Plane (The Last Picture Show) - 2006, 20x20cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the original Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label....

Three Girls X (The Last Picture Show) - 2006, 20x20cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the original Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Ar...

Three Girls VII (The Last Picture Show) - 2006, 20x20cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the original Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. ...

Three Girls VI (The Last Picture Show) - 2006, 20x20cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the original Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. A...

Untitled (Cowboys and Angels), 2005 50x39cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. artist Inventory No. 91...

Alice (Stranger than Paradise) - 2004 38x37cm each, installed with gaps 38x210cm, Edition of 2/7, 5 analog C-Prints, hand-printed by the artist on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper, base...

Stefanie Schneider Polaroid sized unlimited Mini 'Fairy (Heavenly Falls)' - 2016 - signed in front, not mounted. 1 Archival Color Photograph based on the original Polaroid. Pola...

Girl Nude (29 Palms, CA) - 1999 Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs, 50x50cm, Archival C-Print, Not mounted, based on the Polaroid, Signature label and Certificate, Artist inve...

Stefanie Schneider Polaroid sized unlimited Mini 'Calliope' - 2013 - signed in front, not mounted. 1 Digital Color Photographs based on a Polaroid. Polaroid sized open Editions ...

Skylark open trunk (Stranger than Paradise), 1997 - Edition 1/10, 60x80cm, Analog C-Print, printed by the artist, based on a Polaroid. Signature label and Certificate. Artist Inv...

Leaving (Strange Love) - 2005 20x30cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on a 35mm film. Signature label and certificate. Not mounted. Stefanie Schneid...

Untitled (Cowboys and Angels) - 2005 39x50cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. artist Inventory No....

Indian Summer III (The Last Picture Show) - 2005 20x20cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print print, based on the Polaroid, Certificate and Signature label Artist Inventory No 892. Not mounted. Stefanie Schneider - Artist Statement Desolation and solitude are two words that come to mind when describing my Polaroid photographs. Another is the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi—the art of finding beauty in imperfection and transience. The simplicity of “flawed beauty” emerges from the expired film I use, reflecting themes of love and loneliness. My work is a meditation on impermanence, an acceptance of a worldview that has no return. The shiny, idealized lens through which we once saw the world is crumbling—and has been for some time. What was once labeled blurry, broken, or botched now stands as a testament to the beauty of imperfection. For some, this is a seismic shift: acknowledging that reality is cracked, fragmented, and imperfect. Yet, even in this age when the cracks are impossible to ignore, acceptance remains elusive. But isn’t that unsettling? To admit that the dream is decaying, transforming into something closer to a nightmare? Denial feels safer than facing the truth of ruin. It’s human nature to resist the notion of finitude, the idea that all things—ourselves, even God—have their time and fade away. Yet this acknowledgment of impermanence is at the core of my work. I began my journey in photography before the digital revolution, before the era of Instagram, in a time when analog film demanded a different kind of mindfulness. With Polaroid, every shot is a commitment—a single, unrepeatable moment. There is no endless editing, no post-production safety net. This analog process became my way of celebrating imperfection and reconnecting with the raw, unpolished world, where flaws are not hidden but embraced. Polaroid film, with its candy-like color palette and unpredictable blemishes, felt like an extension of my vision. The quirks and distortions of expired film brought me a sense of inner peace, mirroring the imperfections in life itself. It was liberating—a visual language that honored the “perfectly imperfect” and invited others to see their own scars as remarkable. There are two ways to view the world: through a lens that embraces imperfection or one that denies it. But let me warn you—once you open your eyes to the beauty of imperfection, there’s no turning back. You step into a twilight zone of understanding, where the polished, artificial perfection of the past loses its appeal. My creative process hinges on allowing space and time for magic to manifest—capturing moments of serendipity, often born from turbulence and imbalance. It’s the interplay of chaos and stillness that allows unknown forces to shape a moment. To me, this is the essence of art: a dialogue between the inner self and the external world, where rules dissolve, and emotions take precedence. Dreams are the foundation of my work. They connect us to our subconscious, bridging the space between personal vision and shared experience. My photographs invite you to step into these dreamscapes, to become part of the story. Nostalgia, emotion, and instinct—spiced with a hint of desire—are the ingredients of my art. Ultimately, my work is about liberation: freeing ourselves from the tyranny of perfection, honoring the beauty in the transient and the flawed, and finding a space where it’s not just permissible—but essential—to simply be. 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. “It was Stefanie Schneider, who inspired me to start the company THE IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT after seeing her work, which seems to achieve the possible from the impossible, creating the finest of art out of the most basic of mediums and materials. Indeed, after that one day, I was so impressed with her photography that I realized Polaroid film could not be allowed to disappear. Being at the precise moment in time where the world was about to lose Polaroid, I seized the moment and have put all my efforts and passion into saving Polaroid film. For that, I thank Stefanie Schneider almost exclusively, who played a bigger role than anyone in saving this American symbol of photography.” –Florian Kaps, March 8th 2010 (“Doc” Dr. Florian Kaps, founder of “The Impossible Project”) Exhibitions Selected (selected) 2018 Participation Bombay Beach Biennale, Bombay Beach, USA (G) March Available to All, Rough Play Projects - Site Specific, Joshou Tree, USA (G) curated by Deborah Martin with Adam Berg, Doron Gazit, Kellan Barnebey, Chris Sanchez, Aili Schmelzt 2017 BLICKFELD Analoge Fotografie, Kommunale Galerie Steglitz-Zehlendorf (G) (catalog), (upcoming)
 Rosegallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica (G) Magie des Moments, Kunstverein Bad Homburg Artlantis, Bad Homburg (G) 2016 
Instantdreams, Instantdreams Gallery, Berlin 

(S) 2015
 Desert Voices, De Re Gallery, Los Angeles (G) with Pamela Littky The Ballery in Heat, The Ballery, Berlin (G) 
Blue Nudes, De Re Gallery, Los Angeles (G) 

 2014

 Summer Show, Galerie Catherine et André Hug, Paris, France (G) 6 Finalists, Saatchi Gallery London (G) 
Instantdreams, De Re Gallery, Los Angeles (S)
Grand Opening, De Re Gallery, Los Angeles (G) with Banksy, Andy Warhol, Alison Bignon, Sophie Dickens, Victor Gingembre and others
 2013 
Heather's Dream, Short, nominated for the German Short Film Award 2013 (Deutscher Kurzfilmpreis)
Images For Images (Artists fir Tichy), GASK - Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region,  Kutná Hora, Czech Republic, (G) with Richard Prince, Nan Golding, Shirana Shahbazi, Sophie Calle, Martin Kippenberger, Arnulf Rainer, Thomas Ruff, Katharina Grosse, Jonathan Meese & others (catalog) 
The Girl behind the White Picket Fence, Galerie Catherine et André Hug, Paris, France (S)
 Heather's Dream, Short, German Competition Short Film Festival Oberhausen 
Multimedia Presentation with Artist Stefanie Schneider, Palms Springs Art Museum, Annenberg Theater
 The Polaroid Years: Instant Photography and Experimentation, The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY, (G) with Ansel Adams, Bruce Charlesworth...

Changes (Wastelands), 2003 Edition of 1/10, 38x37cm, digital C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Signature label and Certificate. Artist Inventory No 1178.01 Not mounted. Offered is a pi...

Jean III (Suburbia) 2004, 20x24cm, Edition of 1/10, digital C-Print based on a Polaroid, Signature label with Certificate. Artist Inventory No. 1688.01. Not mounted. This project ...

Meeting in front of Church (Sidewinder) - 2007 Edition 2/5, each 30x37cm, installed 30x160cm. 4 analog C-Prints, hand-printed by the artist, based on the 4 oirginal Polaroids. Ce...

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. 202...

Reflection of my Mind (Stage of Consciousness) - 2007 Including Stefanie Schneider's signed monograph 'Instantdreams'. 64 pages, hardcover, published by Avenso, 2014. ISBN 978-3-93...

The Tiara (The Girl behind the White Picket Fence) - 2005 20x24cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Signature label and Certificate....

Riviera (Malibu) - 2004 Edition 4/5, 39x37cm. Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist, based on a Polaroid. Artist inventory Number 668.04. Mounted on Aluminum with matte U...

The Girl V (The Girl behind the White Picket Fence) 2013, 125x125cm, Edition 2/5. Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist on Fuji Archive Crystal Paper, matte surface, based on a Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Inventory # 115704.02. Not Mounted. Schneider harnesses the unpredictable chemical mutations of expired Polaroid film, where bursts of color erupt across the surface, destabilizing the photograph's traditional allegiance to reality. These vivid distortions draw her characters into ethereal, trance-like dreamscapes. Like fleeting sequences from a vintage road movie, Schneider’s images shimmer with a transitory quality, dissolving before any definitive conclusions can be drawn. Their ephemeral essence is conveyed through subtle gestures and enigmatic motives. Refusing to yield to the constraints of reality, Schneider’s work keeps alive a delicate interplay of dream, desire, fact, and fiction, blurring the boundaries between them with poetic ambiguity. Stefanie Schneider’s work echoes the heart of American art, channeling the cinematic nostalgia of Ed Ruscha’s roadscapes, the stark sensuality of Georgia O’Keeffe’s deserts, and the haunting solitude of Edward Hopper’s paintings...

'Love Scene against the Wall" (Sidewinder) - 2007, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. 4 x 20x20cm, 20 x 100 cm installed with gaps in between each piec...

Love Scene against the Wall - part 4 (Sidewinder) - 2005, 40x39cm, Edition 3/10. Archival C-Print, based on the original Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Inven...

White Trash Beautiful I (29 Palms, CA) - 1999 78x76cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Invento...

Harbor Building, LA - 1999 20x20cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Signature label and Certificate. artist Inventory No. 18361. No...

Sunset II (Till Death do us Part) 90x112cm, Edition 1/5, 2005 Analog C-Print print, hand-printed by the artist, based on a Polaroid. Signed on verso Artist Inventory No. 9495.01. ...

A lonely and deserted Place (The Girl behind the White Picket Fence) - 2013, 80x80cm, Edition 2/5. Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist on printed on Fuji Archive Paper, ba...

Kirsten smokes (29 Palms, CA) - 1999 58x56cm, Edition of 10. Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist, based on the Polaroid. Signature label and Certificate. Artist invento...

Letham House (Stay) - 2006 Edition of 10, 6 pieces 82x80cm each, installed 174x260cm. 6 archival C-Prints, based on the 6 Polaroids. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Inve...

After the Flood (Till Death do us Part) - diptych - 2005 50x48cm each. Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on 2 Polaroids. Certificate and Signature labe...

Dreamer (Zuma Beach) - 2004 29x28cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Inventory #2746. Not ...

Riviera (Malibu) - 2004 50x50cm. Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Artist inventory Number 668. Not mounted. Stefanie Schneider’s w...

Lost (Suburbia) - 2004 40x50cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print based on a Polaroid. Signature label with Certificate. Artist Inventory # 1670. Not mounted...

Stefanie Schneider's work was used for Marc Forster's movie 'Stay', featuring Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts and Ryan Gosling. Naomi and Ryan were both portraying artists and Stefanie Sc...

Palm Springs Wabi-Sabi (Californication) - 2021 20x20cm. Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist In...

Stefanie Schneider's Minis Coney Island (Stay), 2006 Signed and signature brand on verso. Lambda digital Color Photographs based on a Polaroid. Sandwiched in between Plexiglass (thi...

A Vision you can't Capture #03 (29 Palms, CA) - 2007 A piece from the project: 29 Palms, CA 50x61cm, Edition 2/5. Analog C-Print printed on Fuji Archive Paper, hand-printed by th...

Untitled (Olancha) - 2006 38x37cm. Edition of 5, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Analog C-Print, hand-printed by the artist, based on a Polaroid. Signature label and Certificate. Artist I...

Stefanie Schneider's work was used for Marc Forster's movie 'Stay'. Featuring Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts and Ryan Gosling. Naomi and Ryan were both portraying artists and Stefanie's ...

Lollipop (Beachshoot) - 2005 80x80cm, Edition 1/5. Analog C-Print, hand-Printed by the artist on Fuji Crystal Archive Paper, based on the Polaroid. Under glass with a white woode...

Into the Sun (Stranger than Paradise) - 2008 20x20cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Signature label and Certificate. Artist Invent...

Cristal (Till Death Do Us Part) - 2005 20x20cm, Edition of 10 plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on the Polaroid. Certificate and Signature label. Artist Inventory ...