Object Lesson: On the Influence of Richard Benson
by Dawoud Bey

Through engaging testimonials and anecdotes from photographers, curators, printers, and colleagues, Object Lesson: On the Influence of Richard Benson pays homage to this legendary Renaissance man and his lasting impact on generations of photography educators and practitioners.

Richard Benson’s name is synonymous with the evolving history and philosophy of photographic reproduction—from making platinum prints for prominent photographers like Paul Strand and books with lifelong collaborators such as Lee Friedlander, to his own experiments with inkjet and digital offset processes. In 1979, Tod Papageorge invited Benson to teach at Yale University’s Department of Photography; together, they shaped one of the preeminent photography programs in the world. Benson would go on to become the dean of the Yale School of Art in 1996. By the time of his death in 2017, Benson had inspired over three decades of students and artisans through his teaching and mentorship. In words and images, Object Lesson stands as a testament to Benson’s wit, wisdom, and incomparable obsession with how photographic images render and connect us to the world.

Includes text, image, and interview contributions by Michele Abeles, Marion Belanger, Barbara Benson, Richard Benson, Dawoud Bey, Andrew Borowiec, Lois Conner, Matt Connors, Tim Davis, Ben Donaldson, Dru Donovan, Martina Droth, Shannon Ebner, John Gambell, John Goodman, Bryan Graf, Gail Albert Halaban, Gary Haller, Heyward Hart, Robert Hennessey, Peter Kayafas, Lisa Kereszi, Justin Kimball, David La Spina, John Lehr, Susan Lipper, Salvatore Lopes, Peter MacGill, Tanya Marcuse, Sarah Meister, Paul Messier, Andrea Modica, Matthew Monteith, Abelardo Morell, Arthur Ou, Thomas Palmer, Tod Papageorge, Ted Partin, Bradley Peters, John Pilson, Kristine Potter, Caitlin Price, Sergio Purtell, John Robinson, Jeff Rosenheim, Sasha Rudensky, Gary Schneider, David Benjamin Sherry, Steve Smith, Mark Steinmetz, Sarah Stolfa, Ka-Man Tse, James Welling, and Jeffrey Whetstone.