Imperial Border 1 and 2
(click image to enlarge)
Paul Gravett

To create these images, words were randomly taken from a New York Times article about the border agents. The article described how they had grown defensive, insular and bitter with a desperate situation, and were overwhelmed by the increasing number of migrants. The chosen words, “people arriving, our agents fleeing”, are spelled out in colourful children’s blocks.

With multiple exposure and “stacking” in the development process, the words become fragmented and abstracted. Rich palettes, patterns and textures create painterly images, while meaning becomes illusive.

New York Times, ‘People Actively Hate Us’: Inside the Border Patrol’s Moral Crisis