WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

  A Photography Alum’s Take on the American Dream

“When I think of American style, I think of the drama, the glam, and how everything is a little excessive. More is always more,” says Sarai Garcia, Photography ’20, who’s published in New York, Flanelle, and other outlets.

Woman with red wig wearing orange dress getting makeup applied with brush
Photos by Sarai Garcia ’20.

Behind the scenes of that glammy American facade, she points out, are people of less means who make it all possible. Using her Queens apartment as a studio, the DIY Dominican-American artist serves as photographer, set designer, stylist, hair and makeup artist, and, in this case, model.

Woman with red hair wearing orange shirt and white skirt posing against cloud backdrop

The American dream today is arguably just a pretense, but for Garcia, who describes her work as “a celebration and love letter to women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ identities,” the people who once propped up the dream are finally taking center stage. —Alex Joseph

Woman in red shirt and white skirt posing against sky backdrop
Woman in orange shirt and white skirt posing against sky backdrop
The making of Garcia’s American dream.