VAQUEROS DE LA CRUZ DEL DIABLO

Werner Segarra’s Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo invites audiences to peer into the world of the Northern Mexican Vaquero – not as a casual tourist, but as an intimate observer. With over 20 years of images of the Vaqueros, this project reflects a complex contemporary composition of the everyday life of the Vaquero. Realistic moments of how they view themselves, surrounded by the tools of their trade, intertwined with the realities of their existence – family, religion, tradition, culture, work, and animals – reflecting a legacy that reaches back over generations and is the birthplace of the modern Cowboy.

In a world that has never been more connected through mass media and where distinct cultures are increasingly becoming homogenized – Vaqueros de La Cruz del Diablo stands out as a contemporary, authentic reflection of a way of life that is on the brink of disappearing. Through his lens, Segarra combines elements of metaphoric composition and realism – not merely documenting the Vaquero, but bringing forward through his images both meaning and a celebration of his subjects and their way of life. The images in this collection are photographed in an Architectural Portrait style with the Vaqueros purposely situated in their context, without exaggeration, stage-effect, or overexposure. The images are intended to reveal intimate details of the subject’s environment, where the past and the present collide in the intricate features of Vaquero’s world.