Sarah Bednarek | Comforting Word

I made this piece at the height of the debates for the presidential election. It is a podium with press microphones, covered in grandma sweaters. I have noticed, as I think we all do, that public officials speak almost completely in coded bromides. This seems to be a diversionary tactic.

The discourse presented to us is highly sentimental, appeals to our most deep-seated fears, is largely atrophied, and lacks the depth and diversity in which a country as large and populous as America should be conversant. I am making a correlation between the pattern and function of grandma sweaters to these deeply unsettling observations about public discourse. Grandma sweaters insulate and warm a frail and ailing body while projecting benevolent cuteness and sentimentality.