Robert Gould Shaw Memorial c. 1973 - 2008

Richard Benson made this gelatin silver print of the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial; a somber but moving scene, captured in tones of grey. I imagine Benson, in the darkroom, coaxing this image into being, carefully adjusting the light and chemicals to reveal the sculpture's gritty texture. You can almost feel the weight of the stone, the coarse surfaces catching the light. These men, forever frozen in time, were once alive, marching towards an unknown future. Look at the slight blur of the figures. The soldiers are not perfectly still, but rather caught in a moment of transition, perhaps echoing the uncertainty and vulnerability of the men. You could get lost in the details, pondering the weight of history and the complexities of human experience. It’s like Benson is in conversation with the original sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, each artist adding their voice to a shared story across time.