December 6th, 2022

Ever since choosing to study Graphic Design at Merrimack College, there has been an urge from the professors and higher-ups to visit professional art galleries and museums to further our knowledge, education, and experience with a gallery setting as well as become ingrained in the common practices that we will eventually be a part of. While I often would visit galleries in my youth with family, I did not hold the arsenal of awareness and visual conception for art and its medium that I have now. Today, my viewpoint on gallery exhibitions and curated work by both famous and independent artists has developed into a mature appreciation. 

The Addison Art Gallery of American Art in North Andover, Massachusetts is an art exhibition that I am familiar with due to my numerous visits throughout my four years at Merrimack College. The Addison Art Gallery is an academic museum dedicated to collecting American art, organized as a department of Phillips Academy. Throughout the gallery, there are consistent installations that revolve around the displays that evoke themes of America’s past, present, and future. This month, The Addison Gallery is holding a special presentation on four stories told through Henry Benson’s photography. These powerful photo stories from the 1960s encompass the Berlin Wall, the James Meredith March, the Beatles’ arrival to the USA, and the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. 

When I was first made aware of this exhibition at the Addison, I instantly became interested not only in the other exhibits available but specifically in the display of Henry Benson due to my recent fascination with photography. While I was not aware of Benson before this exhibition, I found that I was familiar with some of his work, specifically of the Beatles. As I made my way through his presented work, I became fascinated with his ability to capture movement and personality. His work, even through black and white film, captures marked moments in American history that seemingly become reality. As an individual who missed all of these events, seeing the Beatle’s personalities in motion provides a glimpse into their character through a single still image. In fact, I have found that Benson’s photos provide more story and depth than modern-day video. Examples of Benson’s revolutionary photography that transcend not only his era but even modern photography can be seen below.