The photographs of Werner Segarra reveal the lives of vaqueros from Sonora, Mexico.
The birthplace of the modern cowboy is portrayed in the exhibition Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo: Contemporary Photography of the Northern Mexican Cowboy, on view at the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio through January 24, 2022.
Featuring the work of celebrated photographer Werner Segarra, the exhibition captures the world of the Norteño cowboys from Sonora, Mexico, with almost 60 images, taken from an embedded insider’s vantage point and spannig more than 20 years of the lives of the vaqueros.
Segarra, who has traveled and photographed extensively and first encountered the Norteño cowboys through a student exchange, showcases the vaqueros’ way of life through photographs of the expansive landscape, daily work, tools of the trade, and intimacy of their homes.
The photographs share the unique, passionate, and strenuous life that these Mexican cowboys lead. The exhibition is accompanied by Norteño music specially created by Leo Lopez, and video clips further illustrate the stories captured in the images. A large-format book of the photographs is available.
About the Briscoe Western Art Museum
Nestled on the banks of the San Antonio River Walk, the museum’s main building served as San Antonio’s original public library in the 1930s followed by the Hertzberg Circus Collection and Museum in the 1980s. After an extensive renovation, the Briscoe Western Art Museum opened in 2013. A branch of the San Antonio Public Library can be found on the first floor, honoring the building’s origins. The museum is named in honor of Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr., and his wife Janey Slaughter Briscoe, who envisioned a museum that would share the story of Western heritage and the people behind that story. – briscoemuseum.org
Visit briscoemuseum.org for more information.
Photography: Werner Segarra/courtesy Briscoe Western Art Museum