2022 MCBA Prize Entries

Matthew Magruder, “RE(A)D – Hate Crimes committed by White offenders 2009–2019”

 

Matthew Magruder
Austin, Texas
www.matthewmagruder.com

RE(A)D – Hate Crimes committed by White offenders 2009–2019
2021
Artist’s Book, Polymer Photogravure printed chine collé, handset Letterpress.
15.5″ x 7.5″ x 1″

Artist Statement

Sample data from FBI.gov of Hate Crimes committed by White
offenders from 2009 to 2019. Includes samples of number of incidents by bias motivation for each page/year represented in a 60×60 grid of white dots. Book is in a Japanese stab binding accounting ledger structure and the shape and proportions emulate a police citation book or colloquially (and sadly) often called a “posse box.”

This book was created in an effort to connect with the current racial
and social climate in the US and to reconcile and become more
aware of the role that my segment of the demographic–white and
male individuals–plays. A vast majority of all hate crimes committed
in the US are perpetrated by white males. The stark nature of white
densely packed small dots on red paper combined with clear concise

letterpress printed data serves to convey a contrasting small graphical presence to the large traumatic magnitude of these event.

Events that are happening on at the least a weekly basis in the US. The choice of book structure, a “ledger” style book, was also intentional and meant to connect with the mechanized, desensitized, and increasingly normalized nature that our culture holds with regards to hate and violence. The book proportions utilized (that of a police citation “Posse Box,” a term that itself has deep racist undertones) also connect with the overlap of the stark contrasting nature of policing white populations and minority populations.

Titanium white ink polymer photogravure grid dots printed chine collé on red lokta paper with hatakami prakrtika paper for the pages and hand set letterpress in 24pt Blado Italic and 12pt 20th C.
Medium.
“Blood drops” done with red India Ink.
Edition of 4.