Kris Graves

George Floyd Projection, Richmond, VA 2020

Jefferson Davis Monument, Richmond, VA 2020

Lee Square, Richmond, VA, 2020

Appomattox, Alexandria, VA, 2020

Columbus Plinth, Richmond, Virginia, 2020

JEB Stuart Monument, Richmond, VA, 2020

Intersection, Stone Mountain, Georgia, 2020

J.E.B. Stuart statue, Richmond, VA 2020

Maury Monument, Richmond, VA, 2020

Confederate Howitzer Monument, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2020

Stonewall Jackson, Richmond, VA, 2020

Wickham Plinth, Richmond, VA, 2020

Pepsi-Cola, 2005

Blissville, 2017

Cubesmart, Long Island City, New York, 2015

Condo Construction, Long Island City, New York, 2008

40th Ave. Flowers, 2015

Before the 2nd Citi Building, Long Island City, New York, 2005

Department of Health, 2015

Dutch Kills no2, 2017

Dutch Kills no3, 2017

Dutch Kills no4, 2017

Hunters Landing, 2017

Mister Softee, Astoria, New York, 2004

Plaxall, 2018

Queens Plaza North, 2017

Queens Plaza South, 2017

Queens Plaza South, New York, 2015

R.I.P. 5Pointz, Long Island City, New York, 2013

Skillman Avenue, 2017

Triplets, Elmhurst, New York, 2015

UOVO, Long Island City, New York, 2015

Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, New York, 2014

Black and White Sunset with Pink, 2018

Walter Over the Hudson, New York, 2019

Birth, Kauai, Hawaii, 2016

Bronx Contours, New York, 2015

Colonial Man, Boston, Massachusetts, 2015

Daydream, Ithaca, 2019

Area Closed, Ithaca, 2019

East St Louis, Illinois no2, 2019

Mom Above Times Square, New York, 2014

Ray Sr, New York, 2014

Monks Mound no2, Illinois, 2019

Gregory, 2015

Smoke in the Air, Northern California, 2017

Taughhannock Falls, New York, 2019

The Battery, Charleston, South Carolina, 2020

Uncle Davids Basement, Queens, 2018

Waterfall, Ithaca, 2019

West Point, New York, 2013

World Trade Center, New York, 2015

Andrew Overlooking Manhattan from Queens, 2017

Jessica, 2016

Amani, 2015

La Toya, 2016

Ferratti, 2015

Elsa, 2016

Frank, 2015

Jacob, 2015

Justin, 2015

Kris in Stereo, 2016

Ayesha No. 2, 2016

The Artist, 2014

AKAI GURLEY, EAST NEW YORK, BROOKLYN (11:15 P.M.)

Akai Gurley died in a dark stairwell inside a project building on Linden Boulevard. Directly across the street, cops stand on the corner under high-intensity lights. While Graves took the first photograph, four consecutive gunshots rang out, loud but out of view. Seconds later, five teenagers ran past. The cops stationed on the corner crossed the wide lanes of traffic in an instant to the project side of the block. At the end of the photo shoot, there were at least 50 cops on the block, and half of Linden Boulevard was closed.

ALTON STERLING, BATON ROUGE (12:35 A.M.)

The Triple S Mart is a popular store with cars in and out of the parking lot. It had just rained and they have the memorial covered with a tarp. Some people driving through town stop and say they had never noticed the memorial before. Two people approach from across the street and ask to introduce the artist of the mural. They say they are interested in museum and gallery exhibitions and grant funding for their projects. The truth is, these places are not always as dangerous as they seem.

ERIC GARNER, STATEN ISLAND (3:30 P.M.)

Eric Garner died a 10-minute walk from the ferry terminal. In the park across the street, men gamble at a game called “quarters.” Outside of the Bay Beauty Supply, there is a small Plexiglas memorial with flowers in it. The man selling incense and oils outside of the store says he made the memorial. He says he had been on that street hustling, like Garner, for more than 30 years. He says he knew Eric and saw him in the neighborhood the day before he died.

FREDDIE GRAY, BALTIMORE (8:40 A.M.)

Baltimore is so beautiful. The houses are gorgeous, the streets are wide, and there are ample green spaces. One problem is that the neighborhoods haven’t been kept up, the streets aren’t cared for, and the green spaces are scarcely usable. It’s sad because it seems like the entire neighborhood could turn around in an instant if there were even a little bit of money spent in the community of the forgotten. There were people outside talking, but it was a pretty quiet scene.

MICHAEL BROWN, FERGUSON (12:00 P.M.)

On the way over, the cab driver says the cops are much better after the riot. He says there are bad apples everywhere, but that the neighborhood is like any other. It’s quiet, with the occasional bass thump from passing cars. People say hello; women push babies in strollers; a father drives back from McDonald’s with his two children. A bartender says: “Make us look good. We’re not monsters. We’re not evil. Families live in those homes.”

PHILANDO CASTILE, MINNESOTA (9:10 P.M.)

Philando Castile was killed in front of his family, very close to the northern entrance of the Minnesota State Fair, before it opened for the season. On the day of this photo shoot, there must have been more than 100,000 people in attendance. The road where he died is large and empty, and you can see far in each direction—a normal turnpike by any measure.

TAMIR RICE, CLEVELAND (3:30 P.M.)

Tamir Rice was killed less than two seconds after police officers approached him on a cold day in a beautiful park behind an elementary school. On this day, it is a place that is full of children playing, but there are no adults in sight. It seems like a pretty safe space.

WALTER SCOTT, CHARLESTON (9:30 A.M.)

Walter Scott was killed in an empty field in an unremarkable suburb north of Charleston. It is nerve-racking to walk into that field, because it is difficult to tell if it is private or public property. It feels terrible to walk in the same line of fire as Scott did in order to make the photographs. The photo shoot was not a long one.

Kalfatjarnarkirkja, 2012

Borgarnes, 2012

Gullfoss, 2012

Hveraron No. 3, 2013

Hverarond, No. 1, 2010

Hverarond No. 2, 2010

Jokulsarlon Ice, 2010

Over Skagastrond, 2013

Oxarafoss, 2013

Reynisfjall, 2013

Road to Skaftafell, 2010

Skagastrond, 2013