Gathering Light: One Collector’s Journey in Photography

August 23, 2022 - December 2, 2022

Private art collectors are a driving force in contemporary art trends and play a large role in defining the pieces and movements that are considered significant throughout art history, sometimes even more so than leading museums and art institutions. Most collectors build around a specific time period, medium, or genre. Many significant museum collections, or even entire museums, are created from a single private collector’s donation. With all of that in mind, what does it mean to collect photography?

Stereograph diptych image. A well-dressed man sits atop a high ledge, overlooking a city, with a large camera.
A hand-colored ambrotype image in a case. The left side of the case is lined with velvet and has an intricate pattern, the right side has a gilded frame. The framed photo features an infant held up by a figure hidden under draped fabric.

In this exhibition, SMP presents Steven Benson’s extensive private collection of photography. A previous Daytona State College photography professor, Benson’s collecting perspective is unique in that he is also an active professional photographer. Over the course of 45+ years he has amassed nearly 2,000 photographs, including cased daguerreotypes and ambrotypes from the dawn of photography, prints from legends such as Edward Curtis, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andre Kertez, Jerry Uelsmann, Eadweard Muybridge, works by contemporary artists including Keliy Anderson-Staley, Roger Ballen and Martin Stranka, and many more photographic prints and curios. This exhibition explores what draws a collector to certain pieces over others, the strange journeys and happenstance encounters that lead to acquisitions, and what happens when a collector discovers a forgery.

A reflective ball sits in a courtyard in front of a gate. There is a pair of hands breaking out of the orb. One large cumulus cloud appears behind the gate.

Jerry Uelsmann, “Untitled”, 1983

A man, Jackson Pollock, sits against wooden planks. The foreground is filled with paint cans, paint brushes, and other art supplies.

Arnold Newman, “Jackson Pollock”, 1949

A lonely tulip sits in a tall, slender vase. It is drooping to the ground.

Andre Kertez, “Meloncholic Tulip”, 1939

Gathering Light will be on display from August 23 through December 2. An opening reception was held on Tuesday, August 23, featuring a meet-and-greet with collector Steven Benson. A collector’s talk featuring Steven Benson will be held on Thursday, December 1st in the Madorsky Theater. Please register to attend this event here.

Person in white astronaut helmet with gold visor, surrounded by small gold and brown birds

Martin Stranka, “Dreamers and Warriors”,  2018

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