UPDATED: Oct. 2 at 12:11 p.m.
When the selection jury at Light Work meets to choose a new Artist-in-Residence, they look for someone who represents the gallery’s message, character and beginnings.

This month, Light Work’s Artists-in-Residence are Jessica Segall and Andres Gonzalez.

The nonprofit photography organization created the program to provide a space for artists to utilize top-of-the-line equipment, faculty and creative freedom. Factoring in diversity, photographic approaches and emerging artists, the jury emphasizes artists of all genres who are coming back into their field or changing directions.

“(Segall and Gonzalez) fit within the category of emerging and of diverse — one is a woman and one is a person of color,” said Cjala Surratt, promotions coordinator for Light Work. “Especially with Andres, the subject he is taking on is very socially and culturally relevant. Jessica’s work isn’t just photography, it’s broadening the scope and working across mediums. That’s what intrigued the jury process.”

Jessica Segall

Inspired by her family’s activism growing up, Segall incorporates themes of environmentalism and ecological conservation in her work.

“We are in a time where there is a critical need to respond to the depletion of environmental resources,” Segall said. “I’m operating from the point of view that we are in a time of climate crisis.”

Segall is working on several projects following this focus, one of which is a photo-video project that captures private wildlife reserves around the United States. While at Light Work, she plans to work on making prints and editing video footage, but her long-term process is more multifaceted.

When starting a project, Segall typically collaborates with researchers to understand her material from an environmental science lens. Segall also includes sculpture within her photography and spends much of her time crafting these pieces.

Segall has traveled all over the world for her work, including Mongolia, Mexico, Germany, Cuba, Sweden, Philippines and the Netherlands. One of her most memorable times as an artist includes her two visits to the Arctic. Her first trip was a sailing trip along the fjords, when she visited the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, glaciers and international research stations. The second time she visited was to celebrate the anniversary of the Wilderness Act.

“Both trips culminated in photographic series, but still maintain a threat throughout my thoughts and work, rounding out ideas of wilderness, conservation, fragility and culture,” Segall said.

The traveling artist earned her undergraduate degree at Bard College and her master’s degree at Columbia University. She held residencies at the Jan van Eyck Academie in the Netherlands and the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program in New York City. She teaches a sculpture class at the University of South Florida.

“I’ve had a lot of academic education, and I think they’ve been really different experiences, but it was what introduced me to theoretical concerns in art-making and provided some really close friends that I continue to work with,” Segall said.

Andres Gonzalez

Taking inspiration from everywhere he looks, Gonzalez has led various projects around the world. His latest includes a curatorial project about grief and empathy through the examination of school shootings.

During his stay at Light Work, Gonzalez plans to continue editing his project as he prepares to turn his work into a book. He also hopes to take a break from documentary-style photography and capture pictures around Syracuse.

Gonzalez received his undergraduate degree from Pomona College and earned his master’s degree in visual communications from Ohio University. He also attended a 14-week intensive program at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine for documentary studies.

Prior to working as a creative photographer, he worked in photojournalism and taught outdoor education at the Veld School in Aus, where he first started to explore photography seriously.

Similar to Segall, Gonzalez’s project has a heavy focus on research. He consults state, university, online archives and interviews with people affected first-hand. Gonzalez photographs portraits of the people he speaks with and the landscapes of the towns that have fallen victim to these shootings.

“When I go to the place, I just try to absorb the environment as much as I can,” Gonzalez said.  “I walk along the streets and the neighborhoods and talk to folks and just try to be present in these places where these things happened. Being in these environments and seeing people’s resilience and community.”

Gonzalez has traveled the world for his work. Prior to starting his current project, he spent time in Istanbul documenting refugee neighborhoods and communities. On the side, the artist created a more honest reflection of his time in Istanbul through a series of nondocumentary photography of the country and landscape.

Eventually, Gonzalez took his photos from Istanbul, as well as photos from time spent in Florida, California, Maine and the Netherlands, and published a book of photography in 2011.

“I started going through all of my negatives and images that I had overlooked that would fit into this type of photography and started editing and putting them together,” Gonzalez said. “Then I went to the ‘Fotobookfestival Kassel’ in 2011 and was blown away by European photo book making … I bought all these books and went home and researched it.”

This post has been updated with appropriate style.

Published on October 1, 2017 at 9:21 pm

Contact Talia: tntracki@syr.edu