Robert Gould Shaw Memorial c. 1973 - 2008

Richard Benson made this photograph of the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial. The grayscale image is really about surface and texture; the light seems to move across the rough-hewn faces and clothing of these figures. Look at the way the light catches on the rifles; it makes me think about how a painter might build up layers of glaze to create depth. With photography, it's a different kind of layering; it's about capturing light and shadow to create the illusion of three dimensions on a flat surface. The texture is so important here. See how the light reveals the rough surfaces of the stone, the deep carving that define the faces? There's a kind of tension between the detail and the way the light softens the image. It reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s blurred photographs, how they both play with focus and memory. Art-making is always a process of revealing and obscuring.