March 14–April 14
Ivan Sigal's self-titled exhibit is different than most artists', as it does not have one single message to promote; Ivan Sigal is more an exploration of life during times of conflict and war. “I've long been interested in using photography as a way of understanding how we see the world,” says Sigal when referencing his 30-some years of craft. Sigal doesn't consider his work to have one set style, though his roots lie in documentary and photojournalistic photography. The exhibit will feature two bodies of his work, both vastly different from one another and wholly unique. A fellow in Digital Studies, the main gallery floor will showcase his most recent work with the U.S. Library of Congress. Creating with archived materials, Sigal has taken old propaganda films and used that as his medium. From there, he's remixed the material and made montage pieces to create something entirely new from the archaic sources. The other half of the showcase revolves around images Sigal took while he was in the city of Mariupol, Ukraine in 2015, at the edge of the conflict zone during a time of political and physical strife within the country. The photos concentrate on people quietly living and moving around the city as Sigal watches with a cinematic eye, trying to find a sense of character to the place. “I build an aesthetic around an idea or something I want to understand,” he says.
Payne Gallery | 346 Main St., Bethlehem | 610.653.5555 | moravian.edu
