[Music] one step beyond Donald Trump became
one step beyond Donald Trump became
one step beyond Donald Trump became President of the United States in
President of the United States in
President of the United States in January of 2017 in April I was still
January of 2017 in April I was still
January of 2017 in April I was still hooked to the news trying to figure out
hooked to the news trying to figure out
hooked to the news trying to figure out who these people were who are now
who these people were who are now
who these people were who are now running my country at the time there was
running my country at the time there was
running my country at the time there was one particular thing that had captured
one particular thing that had captured
one particular thing that had captured my attention Melania Trump the
my attention Melania Trump the
my attention Melania Trump the president’s wife had refused to move
president’s wife had refused to move
president’s wife had refused to move with him to the White House she stayed
with him to the White House she stayed
with him to the White House she stayed at home in Manhattan she said so that
at home in Manhattan she said so that
at home in Manhattan she said so that their son Barron could finish his school
their son Barron could finish his school
their son Barron could finish his school year without disruption ironic of course
year without disruption ironic of course
year without disruption ironic of course because the first families continued
because the first families continued
because the first families continued presence in the city cause tremendous
presence in the city cause tremendous
presence in the city cause tremendous disruption and 1 million dollars a day
disruption and 1 million dollars a day
disruption and 1 million dollars a day in security costs why did she do it what
in security costs why did she do it what
in security costs why did she do it what made her think that she could kick off
made her think that she could kick off
made her think that she could kick off her new job as first lady by not showing
her new job as first lady by not showing
her new job as first lady by not showing up I needed to know how her mind worked
up I needed to know how her mind worked
up I needed to know how her mind worked so I read some magazine profiles and
so I read some magazine profiles and
so I read some magazine profiles and watched some interviews but none of them
watched some interviews but none of them
watched some interviews but none of them revealed anything about what really
revealed anything about what really
revealed anything about what really drove her thinking so I looked at her
drove her thinking so I looked at her
drove her thinking so I looked at her Twitter and found there that between
Twitter and found there that between
Twitter and found there that between 2012 and 2015 she tweeted almost 500
2012 and 2015 she tweeted almost 500
2012 and 2015 she tweeted almost 500 photographs that she took herself now I
photographs that she took herself now I
photographs that she took herself now I believe that everyone has an eye whether
believe that everyone has an eye whether
believe that everyone has an eye whether or not we see ourselves as photographers
or not we see ourselves as photographers
or not we see ourselves as photographers what we choose to shoot and how we frame
what we choose to shoot and how we frame
what we choose to shoot and how we frame subjects always reveals at least a
subjects always reveals at least a
subjects always reveals at least a little about how we see the world for
little about how we see the world for
little about how we see the world for someone like Melania media trained
someone like Melania media trained
someone like Melania media trained controlled in a longtime public figure
controlled in a longtime public figure
controlled in a longtime public figure her photographic eye provides an
her photographic eye provides an
her photographic eye provides an otherwise unavailable view into her life
otherwise unavailable view into her life
otherwise unavailable view into her life so I decided to examine milania’s
so I decided to examine milania’s
so I decided to examine milania’s Twitter photos as though she were an
Twitter photos as though she were an
Twitter photos as though she were an artist and they were her body of work it
artist and they were her body of work it
artist and they were her body of work it was a very revealing exercise so now
was a very revealing exercise so now
was a very revealing exercise so now I’ll show you a small selection of
I’ll show you a small selection of
I’ll show you a small selection of milania’s photos which I think will show
milania’s photos which I think will show
milania’s photos which I think will show us just how many secrets about our own
us just how many secrets about our own
us just how many secrets about our own inner lives that we reveal and the
inner lives that we reveal and the
inner lives that we reveal and the photographs that we post online in those
photographs that we post online in those
photographs that we post online in those three years she only posted one
three years she only posted one
three years she only posted one photograph of her and her husband
photograph of her and her husband
photograph of her and her husband together he dominates the frame her face
together he dominates the frame her face
together he dominates the frame her face is in shadow and cropped out it’s both a
is in shadow and cropped out it’s both a
is in shadow and cropped out it’s both a selfie and an erasure and strange has
selfie and an erasure and strange has
selfie and an erasure and strange has her only depiction of her placement
her only depiction of her placement
her only depiction of her placement within their world and she is removed
within their world and she is removed
within their world and she is removed from the rest
from the rest
from the rest of her family too she posted several
of her family too she posted several
of her family too she posted several photographs of her husband and son
photographs of her husband and son
photographs of her husband and son together for each she’s positioned
together for each she’s positioned
together for each she’s positioned behind the two of them sometimes
behind the two of them sometimes
behind the two of them sometimes literally from the backseat these
literally from the backseat these
literally from the backseat these photographs seem to suggest a family
photographs seem to suggest a family
photographs seem to suggest a family life lived in the background and if she
life lived in the background and if she
life lived in the background and if she sees her family from behind she sees the
sees her family from behind she sees the
sees her family from behind she sees the rest of the world from above she posted
rest of the world from above she posted
rest of the world from above she posted many images of the view from her home in
many images of the view from her home in
many images of the view from her home in Trump Tower down in Central Park these
Trump Tower down in Central Park these
Trump Tower down in Central Park these are beautiful colorful images taken by a
are beautiful colorful images taken by a
are beautiful colorful images taken by a photographer with a clear appreciation
photographer with a clear appreciation
photographer with a clear appreciation for nature but there’s a sadness in the
for nature but there’s a sadness in the
for nature but there’s a sadness in the repetition of this imagery that comes in
repetition of this imagery that comes in
repetition of this imagery that comes in the distance between photographer and
the distance between photographer and
the distance between photographer and subject and Central Park is a place that
subject and Central Park is a place that
subject and Central Park is a place that Melania loves to admire and at first
Melania loves to admire and at first
Melania loves to admire and at first glance it might appear that this type of
glance it might appear that this type of
glance it might appear that this type of photograph was taken on foot from inside
photograph was taken on foot from inside
photograph was taken on foot from inside the park meaning that she was going out
the park meaning that she was going out
the park meaning that she was going out for a walk every once in a while but
for a walk every once in a while but
for a walk every once in a while but looking closely the snow and tree
looking closely the snow and tree
looking closely the snow and tree branches are blurred with a motion of a
branches are blurred with a motion of a
branches are blurred with a motion of a car here again the tree branches are
car here again the tree branches are
car here again the tree branches are blurred and the raindrops are never
blurred and the raindrops are never
blurred and the raindrops are never falling but always stuck to a window and
falling but always stuck to a window and
falling but always stuck to a window and it’s interesting how she cropped these –
it’s interesting how she cropped these –
it’s interesting how she cropped these – to remove the road it’s as though she
to remove the road it’s as though she
to remove the road it’s as though she perceives herself to be walking in the
perceives herself to be walking in the
perceives herself to be walking in the park or wants us to believe that she is
park or wants us to believe that she is
park or wants us to believe that she is even when she’s only driving past and
even when she’s only driving past and
even when she’s only driving past and when she went to Barcelona and
when she went to Barcelona and
when she went to Barcelona and Washington DC and the Paris Las Vegas
Washington DC and the Paris Las Vegas
Washington DC and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino she saw those places
Hotel and Casino she saw those places
Hotel and Casino she saw those places from inside a car – and selfies Melania
from inside a car – and selfies Melania
from inside a car – and selfies Melania has some peculiar tendencies she almost
has some peculiar tendencies she almost
has some peculiar tendencies she almost never posted photographs of her whole
never posted photographs of her whole
never posted photographs of her whole face but when she did she blew them out
face but when she did she blew them out
face but when she did she blew them out editing them so much that the contours
editing them so much that the contours
editing them so much that the contours of her nose are almost imperceptible in
of her nose are almost imperceptible in
of her nose are almost imperceptible in selfies where she’s not blown out she’s
selfies where she’s not blown out she’s
selfies where she’s not blown out she’s disguised behind big black sunglasses
disguised behind big black sunglasses
disguised behind big black sunglasses and glamorous waves of hair in selfies
and glamorous waves of hair in selfies
and glamorous waves of hair in selfies where she’s not blown out or disguised
where she’s not blown out or disguised
where she’s not blown out or disguised she’s cropped up into pieces this is a
she’s cropped up into pieces this is a
she’s cropped up into pieces this is a paradox for a woman who’s a former model
paradox for a woman who’s a former model
paradox for a woman who’s a former model a longtime public figure that when she
a longtime public figure that when she
a longtime public figure that when she turns the camera around that when she
turns the camera around that when she
turns the camera around that when she represents herself she is obscured
represents herself she is obscured
represents herself she is obscured and this instinct to hide extends to her
and this instinct to hide extends to her
and this instinct to hide extends to her son in photographs of Baron she always
son in photographs of Baron she always
son in photographs of Baron she always obscures his face just as she obscures
obscures his face just as she obscures
obscures his face just as she obscures her own here he’s disguised in the
her own here he’s disguised in the
her own here he’s disguised in the little boy version of her big black
little boy version of her big black
little boy version of her big black sunglasses ski goggles this is also the
sunglasses ski goggles this is also the
sunglasses ski goggles this is also the only photograph she posted of the two of
only photograph she posted of the two of
only photograph she posted of the two of them together and it eerily mirrors the
them together and it eerily mirrors the
them together and it eerily mirrors the lone selfie of her and her husband where
lone selfie of her and her husband where
lone selfie of her and her husband where she cropped herself out to remove
she cropped herself out to remove
she cropped herself out to remove herself from the frame but she treats
herself from the frame but she treats
herself from the frame but she treats Baron differently to here there’s no
Baron differently to here there’s no
Baron differently to here there’s no passivity he’s the actor in motion
passivity he’s the actor in motion
passivity he’s the actor in motion swimming and swinging photographically
swimming and swinging photographically
swimming and swinging photographically she composes the world for him that is
she composes the world for him that is
she composes the world for him that is much bigger than her own Melania posted
much bigger than her own Melania posted
much bigger than her own Melania posted her last photograph to Twitter On June
her last photograph to Twitter On June
her last photograph to Twitter On June 11th 2015 five days before her husband
11th 2015 five days before her husband
11th 2015 five days before her husband announced his candidacy for president
announced his candidacy for president
announced his candidacy for president it’s an old photograph of his end six
it’s an old photograph of his end six
it’s an old photograph of his end six year old Baron taken on the beach he’s
year old Baron taken on the beach he’s
year old Baron taken on the beach he’s waving goodbye to a professionally built
waving goodbye to a professionally built
waving goodbye to a professionally built sandcastle in the background the je she
sandcastle in the background the je she
sandcastle in the background the je she chose to post this for image she knew of
chose to post this for image she knew of
chose to post this for image she knew of course the campaign was coming she must
course the campaign was coming she must
course the campaign was coming she must have known that her husband might win
have known that her husband might win
have known that her husband might win and in retrospect this choice reads as
and in retrospect this choice reads as
and in retrospect this choice reads as prophecy goodbye to her own golden tower
prophecy goodbye to her own golden tower
prophecy goodbye to her own golden tower to a palace she knew was destined to
to a palace she knew was destined to
to a palace she knew was destined to crumble so we’ve done a close reading of
crumble so we’ve done a close reading of
crumble so we’ve done a close reading of milania’s photographs and now we see her
milania’s photographs and now we see her
milania’s photographs and now we see her in a new way maybe more sympathetically
in a new way maybe more sympathetically
in a new way maybe more sympathetically than we did before maybe less but
than we did before maybe less but
than we did before maybe less but there’s something deeper here – social
there’s something deeper here – social
there’s something deeper here – social media platforms demand endless visual
media platforms demand endless visual
media platforms demand endless visual imagery but each of these images as
imagery but each of these images as
imagery but each of these images as disposable as they may seem in the feed
disposable as they may seem in the feed
disposable as they may seem in the feed as quickly as we may scroll past is a
as quickly as we may scroll past is a
as quickly as we may scroll past is a photograph captured by a human being who
photograph captured by a human being who
photograph captured by a human being who has chosen that fraction of a second
has chosen that fraction of a second
has chosen that fraction of a second with that particular composition to
with that particular composition to
with that particular composition to share by reading these images closely
share by reading these images closely
share by reading these images closely contrary to the way social media intends
contrary to the way social media intends
contrary to the way social media intends for them to be seen we can reveal
for them to be seen we can reveal
for them to be seen we can reveal unexpected things maybe even some truth
unexpected things maybe even some truth
unexpected things maybe even some truth about another person’s unique experience
about another person’s unique experience
about another person’s unique experience of the world around them Melania did
of the world around them Melania did
of the world around them Melania did move to the White House eventually of
move to the White House eventually of
move to the White House eventually of course on June 11th 2017 bizarrely
course on June 11th 2017 bizarrely
course on June 11th 2017 bizarrely exactly two years the day after she
exactly two years the day after she
exactly two years the day after she posted this photograph of Barron on the
posted this photograph of Barron on the
posted this photograph of Barron on the beach she posted this one
beach she posted this one
beach she posted this one to her new first lady twitter account
to her new first lady twitter account
to her new first lady twitter account her caption looking forward to the
her caption looking forward to the
her caption looking forward to the memories we’ll make in our new home
memories we’ll make in our new home
memories we’ll make in our new home hashtag moving day exclamation point and
hashtag moving day exclamation point and
hashtag moving day exclamation point and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she chose a perspective with candle fire
she chose a perspective with candle fire
she chose a perspective with candle fire curtains a window frame iron bars and
curtains a window frame iron bars and
curtains a window frame iron bars and the pillars of the White House itself
the pillars of the White House itself
the pillars of the White House itself sitting as barriers between her and the
sitting as barriers between her and the
sitting as barriers between her and the rest of her new city Washington DC thank
rest of her new city Washington DC thank
rest of her new city Washington DC thank you
you
you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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