White House of Cards
Every painting in Chronicle of an Unquiet Age documents the defining events, people, and issues that shaped its moment in history. Created in real time as events unfolded, each work serves as both an original oil painting and a historical record, reflecting the belief that the news of today is the history of tomorrow.
TRTA-2022-054 | August 2022 | Oil on Canvas | 34" x 26"
The American people are beginning to see Biden's house of cards collapsing. August 16, 2022 was the one year anniversary of the disastrous withdrawl from Afghanistan and the death of 13 service members lost in the withdrawl. Joe Biden did not address or speak on this anniversary or the service members at all. Biden was seen vacationing and eating ice cream in North Carolina and Delaware. Biden also did not address questions about the Trump raid or weaponization of FBI and DOJ. Is anything this guy's fault? Also Biden had no response to Hunter probe, border crisis, cartels and fentanyl, or the violent crime in cities across America or the 87,000 IRS agents ready to go after American taxpayers. Liz Cheney gets the boot in Wyoming ending her Congressional career. Deborah Wall, the new acting Archivist since May 1, 2022 asked Biden for Trump's Executive Privilege to be revoked so the FBI could raid Mar-A-Lago. In an interview with Joe Rogan, Zuckerbucks tells Rogan the FBI told Facebook to bury the Hunter Biden Laptop story 3 weeks before the 2020 election. Fauci announces his retirement beginning in December 2022 and Rand Paul states it will not prevent a "full-throated investigation" into the orgins of the Pandemic and Fauci's involvement.
And on August 16, 1977 Elvis Presley died and this month was also the 25th anniversary of the tragic death of Princess Diana. President Joe Biden also faced persistent pressure over inflation, border security, crime, and declining approval ratings as the midterm elections approached. White House of Cards reflects a period when political alliances and power structures appeared increasingly unstable.
The composition centers figures tied directly to the moment, including Joe Biden, Liz Cheney, Donald Trump, and White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, whose role as a leading architect and defender of the administration made him a frequent target of criticism. References to Cheney’s defeat, the January 6 investigation, Biden’s economic messaging, border concerns, and debate over leadership competence suggest a White House under pressure from both opposition attacks and internal strain.
The title suggests an administration dependent on fragile support, shifting narratives, and an electorate showing growing frustration. It captures a season when careers were rising or collapsing quickly, and when the balance of power in Washington felt uncertain heading into November.
