Light Work Announces the Recipients of the 33rd Annual Light Work Grants in Photography

2007 Light Work Grants in Photography

The 33rd Annual Light Work Grants in Photography were recently awarded to three Central New York residents. The selected artists are Brantley Carroll, Ella Gant and David Moore. For the past 33 years, Light Work has awarded grants to photographers, critics and photo historians who reside in Central New York. The Light Work Grants in Photography program is a part of Light Work's ongoing effort to provide support and encouragement to artists working in photography. The grants also aim to foster an understanding and appreciation for photographic arts in Central New York.

The Light Work Grant is a fellowship that includes a $2,000 cash award, an exhibition at Light Work and publication in The Light Work Annual. Applicants were required to submit 10 examples of their work along with a short application form. Three judges from outside the grant area then selected the recipients based on the merits of their work.

Light Work is pleased to announce this year's grant recipients:

Brantley Carroll, Syracuse, Onondaga County

Brantley Carroll's series The Whipping Post focuses on, in his words, "the legacy of American slavery for which I feel an inextricable connection." In his artist statement, Carroll tells the story of his father's embarrassment and shame at being related to Charles Carroll, who was an original signer of the Declaration of Independence but who also owned a large tobacco plantation and owned 1,000 slaves. The images are created by superimposing historical images, engravings or text over Carroll's own photographs to create the final piece.

Ella Gant, Clinton, Oneida County

Ella Gant's work is centered on the principle that, in her words, "awareness of our own experience can inspire social consciousness, political responsibility, cultural interaction and changed behavior." In creating her photographs, she not only draws from her own personal experience but also speaks with those around her—friends, family, students, neighbors—about their experiences, their interests, their lives. Through these discussions, as well as her knowledge of history and theory, Gant is inspired to create work that investigates war, poverty, sexuality, race, religion, identity and social justice, among other things. Gant, who is chair of the art department and an associate professor of photography at Hamilton College, has had her work featured in solo and group exhibitions nationwide.

David Moore, Syracuse, Onondaga County

The images in David Moore's Rants and Rituals series depict, according to him, "both dark and personal psychological states, and symbolic rituals, the meanings of which remain a mystery to me." The images were made with a large pinhole camera, which Moore built himself out of plywood, with the lens created by making a small hole in a piece of sheet metal. The paper is put directly into the camera, and after being exposed to light, is then processed in the darkroom to form a negative image. That image is then contact printed to make a positive print. Moore's image making process is marked by unpredictability, which he feels "allows for less description and for more suggestion." He is currently an instructor of photography at LeMoyne College, and his work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions nationwide.

The judges for the 2007 Light Work Grants competition were Myra Greene, Keith Johnson and Angelika Rinnhofer.

Myra Greene lives in Rochester and participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in 2004. She is a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She works in photography, printmaking and sound, as well as digital production of work. Her work has been exhibited nationwide. Keith Johnson participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in 2005. He lives in Hamden, Conn., and has been involved in photography since the early '70s. His work has been exhibited nationwide. Angelika Rinnhofer participated in Light Work's Artist-in-Residence program in 2005. She lives and has her artist studio in Beacon, N.Y. She is a commercial photographer and artist. She is the recipient of a Kodak European Gold Award and recently received a fellowship in photography from the Dutchess County Arts Council.

Light Work is a nonprofit, artist-run organization dedicated to the support of artists working in photography and electronic media. For more information, contact Jessica Heckman at Light Work, 315-443-1300 or jhheckma@syr.edu.

*Digital Files of press images are available upon request.

Press image information below.

Brantley Carroll, Thomas Simms

The story of Thomas Simms:

Thomas Simms was an enslaved African American who escaped from slavery in Georgia at age 17 and lived for a time free and worked as a bricklayer in Boston, Mass. He was arrested there under the federal Fugitive Slave Law on April 4, 1851. Following a dramatic court trial, he was returned to his owner against the strong protests of abolitionists. The federal government sent 300 U.S. Marines to march Sims down the crowded streets of Boston, to be taken away on a warship and transferred back to Georgia, where Simms was summarily lashed, beaten in a public square and sold to a new owner. (Sociology student John Hamilton as Thomas Simms.)

Also available:
David Moore, Figure and Ring