When Morgan Edgecomb was 8 years old, her aunt died of a heart attack.

Now, as a senior art photography major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, she has had a chance to try and piece together who her aunt was through her thesis work.

“As a child, you don’t really understand why someone dies,” Edgecomb said. When her grandmother passed away a few years ago, she was given some of her aunt’s journals from the 1980s.

Edgecomb is one of 22 senior art photography majors who will have her work featured in the 2015 Transmedia Photography Annual in Light Work’s Hallway Gallery. The exhibit, which opened Jan. 12, will hold a reception Wednesday from 5–7 p.m.

Her aunt worked for the government and was in her 30s when she died of a heart attack in a hotel room, Edgecomb said. When a professor suggested she dig into the journals and into her aunt’s identity for her senior thesis, Edgecomb took on the project not only for school, but also for herself.

“I’m trying to figure out who she was as a person and create a person out of these journals,” Edgecomb said. “I’m trying to figure out her as a person in my eyes.”

Until March 5, the 33 photographs will be on display in the non-profit photography organization’s gallery — housed out of the Robert B. Menschel Media Center in the rear of Watson Hall.

“We’re art photography majors, but we fall under transmedia,” Edgecomb explained. “It’s
gonna be really exciting. I’m excited to see a lot of different work in there.”

Edgecomb has two prints in the show — a large photo of the cover of one of her aunt’s journals and a small, dated photograph of her aunt that was taken before Edgecomb’s birth.

John Mannion, master printer at Light Work, and Ana Thor, Light Work’s exhibitions coordinator, worked directly with students to make suggestions and curate the exhibit.

“He went through and he took a little while and he’d look at them and speak to us — kind of like a critique,” Edgecomb said. “The way that he sees things is different. He asks how, not what.”

Mannion’s work with Light Work goes beyond curating exhibits. As the non-profit’s master printer, he works not only with students, but also with professional artists and artists-in-residence who come from far to take advantage of Light Work’s equipment and facilities.

“Our mission — supporting emerging artists and photographers in the most affordable and efficient way — comes out of the needs of what the artist-in-residence and students are working toward,” Mannion said.

Although Light Work is an independent nonprofit, it receives support from the College of Visual and Performing Arts in exchange for student use of the resources. Mannion said the relationship works well — Light Work is able to offer state-of-the-art equipment and space for local, national and international artists, as well as SU students, staff and faculty.

“We’re really in a position to help facilitate work. It’s a beneficial relationship,” Mannion said.

Light Work, in addition to hosting up to 12 exhibits annually, has community darkrooms and printing services available to members. The organization annually hosts several artists-in-residence who travel to Syracuse to live and work in the area and utilize Light Work’s lab facilities to further their work.

“I’ve worked in their darkrooms and digital printing labs before,” Edgecomb said. “They’re very willing to take the time and teach you how to use the equipment.”

Light Work offers individual half-hour sessions where anyone can come in and learn about anything within the organization’s capabilities, said Shane Lavalette, director of Light Work and a former artist-in-residence.

“You pick something you’re interested in, and you get one-on-one help with it,” Lavalette said. “Whether it’s darkroom use, Photoshop skills or even finding your way around a new camera, Light Work offers personal workshops to inspire and educate artists at any level.”

SU students who are not enrolled in VPA but are interested in a membership can gain access to the organization’s resources for a $40 fee per semester.

The gallery features a lot of original work by students, Edgecomb said. Izzy Owen’s focus is more process-based, and her darkroom techniques are evident in her work; James Tarbell’s work is a mixture of new and found family photos; and Natasha Belikove’s work is focused on the men’s club rugby team dynamics, both on and off the field.

“We’re all shooting very different things. I’m very excited to see how the work all melts together,” Edgecomb said. “There’s nothing that’s holding us back, and that’s the greatest part.”

Published on January 28, 2015 at 12:01 am