J.R. Warren a black gay man, was beaten and killed in a horrifically violent manner by two young white men while a third white boy stood by, transfixed, immobile. After beating and kicking him unconscious, David Parker and Jared Wilson, both just shy of 18 years old, ran over J.R.’s body with a Camaro to fake a hit and run accident. They were angry that J.R. was allegedly spreading rumors about his sexual relations with both of them. The murder happened in Grant Town, West Virginia, in the United States of America on July 4th, 2000. Initially, Queer and African American activists demanded that this murder should be investigated as a hate crime; local authorities resisted the assertion that J.R.’s race or sexual orientation played a part in the violence: "It was just something that happened between individuals, we’ll never know why." It was a complex situation ripe for multiple interpretations, with many competing points of view on the meaning of the murder. It brought to light public dialogue on issues of race, sexuality and violence. Eventually, the case slowed down, the furor died and the killers were convicted. A flower-strewn wooden cross etched with the word "Remember" is erected at the murder site outside town.
In August 2005, I moved to West Virginia from New York City to research J.R.’s murder. I got to know people in the community and gained access to court and police records, media reports, and so on. This work, an installation of In 52 two-sided works of art, reflects my journey and thinking about the incident. Both sides are covered in a top layer of mulberry paper, waxed to effect translucency. One side shows expressionistic, collaged and painted images, the other shows handwritten texts written in reverse. The works are comprised of layers of delicate handmade mulberry paper that carry the weight of gesso, pencil, collage, ink, paint and beeswax. Waxing through layers of images softens the composition and makes colors more subtle. It causes the images to look hazy and cloudy, but they are still very specific, like dreams or memories. On the reverse side of each work, a single sentence taken from my research is repeated down the page, becoming a sort of mantra or meditation. My layering and waxing process makes the handwriting visible backwards. The texts may be read by looking into automobile rear view mirrors mounted on the wall. This situates viewers in the place of the killers; the implication of the viewer in the murder becomes an inescapable part of looking. At the same time, reading one’s way through the texts offers a multiplicity of views on the violent incident.