In 2000, Lynn Johnson began documenting the places where extreme acts of violence took place in the United States for her Master’s degree thesis at the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University. Her project, “Hate Kills,” took her to locations where hate crimes had occurred, such as the scene where white supremacists murdered James Byrd, Jr., an African American, by chaining him to a pickup truck and dragging him on the road.
“I used that very dark documentary approach—that style—for my thesis,” she explained. She continued this approach while photographing, “The Science of Good and Evil”, for National Geographic magazine’s 2018 January issue. Johnson found that this assignment centered on listening. “There is just listening to the place, the space, the terrain, the invisible presence of what is left there,” she said.
“I think it’s so germane because as a country, we are experiencing more violence, more toxicity in our relationships with each other,” Johnson said. In 2017, there were 30 active shooter incidents in the United States killing 138 and wounding 591, according to the FBI.
Artist Bios
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Lynn Johnson
Lynn Johnson photographs the human condition. A contributor to National Geographic, Johnson is known for finding beauty and meaning in elusive, difficult subjects—threatened languages, zoonotic disease, rape in the military ranks, the centrality of water in village life. She collaborates with the people she portrays to honor their visions as well as her own. At National Geographic Photo Camps, she helped at-risk youth around the world find their creative voices.
Organizations
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National Geographic
Representing one of the largest brands on social media with over 801 million followers and a billion impressions each month, National Geographic Content’s award-winning and critically acclaimed storytelling inspires fans of all ages to connect with, explore, and care about the world through factual storytelling. National Geographic Content, part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, reaches up to 402 million households in at least 170 countries and 30 languages across the global National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO), National Geographic Documentary Films, and streaming services Disney+ and Hulu, in addition to being a global digital, social, and print publisher. Its diverse content includes Oscar- and BAFTA Award-winning film Free Solo; Oscar-nominated films Sugarcane, Fire of Love, Bobi Wine: The People’s President, and The Cave; Emmy Award-winning franchises Race Against Time and Secrets of; Emmy Award-winning series Animals Up Close and Trafficked With Mariana van Zeller; and Emmy-nominated series A Real Bug’s Life and Tucci in Italy, in addition to multiple National Magazine Awards, Pulitzer Prize finalists, and Webby wins. Visit nationalgeographic.com and natgeotv.com or explore Instagram, Threads, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit.
The Geography of Hate
Featuring: Lynn Johnson
Curated by: Kurt Mutchler
Locations
View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
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“The Geography of Hate” Talk
Immerse yourself in a visual story like no other with Lynn Johnson. In 2000 Lynn began documenting the places where extreme acts of violence took place in the United States for Master’s degree thesis at the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University.
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