Lachlan Benford manifests growth with her upcoming thesis vigil
Written by Lilli Donohue, Photographs courtesy of Lachlan Benford
One of the most interesting shows of the season is without a name or artist present. Lachlan Benford, a fourth-year painting and printmaking student, will present her senior show on the corner of Barnard Street and 38th Street. A five-part arrangement of vigils will be completed right here in Savannah.
Over the past year, Benford has driven around the state staging her senior show. She has created five temporary installations along the border of Georgia. These are site-specific vigils, together the five spots form the points of a pentagram. Pentagrams hold much more meaning than their stereotypical connotation. They are meant to manifest things. So what exactly is Benford trying to manifest with this one? Personal growth and being a good person are what this show is all about. “These roadside memorials are how I want to be represented,” she said. After a lot of self-reflection, Benford has staged these vigils as a point of reflection for herself.
There are five memorials, each made up of three crosses. The crosses are all representative of the different facets of Benford. The first has her inscribed initials ‘LRB’. She said, “It’s me as a body that takes up space. I was born Lachlan R Benford.” That is her, in the flesh, signified with a cross. The second can be seen as a brand, for the show and her work in general. It’s called ‘vomit worldwide,’ a collection of words Benford likes but also a deeper meaning of part of herself. “There are multiple facets of me,” she said, “I had no self-preservation, I was very self-destructive and wanted to do exciting things.”
Everyone has the capacity to be multifaceted. Selfish emotions can be negative. They don’t necessarily have to be but are absolutely part of being human. The third cross feels much more personal because it was inspired by one of Benford’s favorite songs. “It’s a personification of my desire to be good and healthy,” she said. Between ‘Edith’ and ‘vomit worldwide,’ there are conflicting feelings but important to experience together. “‘VWW’ is a brand, more superficial whereas ‘Edith’ is personal, I don’t feel like selling it,” said Benford. Together the three crosses balance each other out, existing as a whole.
Once the Savannah vigil is set, Benford will become an observer. QR codes and flyers will be in place for viewers to read, but this is a ‘no questions asked’ kind of show. Benford encourages visitors to investigate the work on their own. This will most likely come as a surprise to those expecting a gallery show or a more formal thesis exhibition. The vigil is an embodiment of Benford and an exhibit of her hard work and dedication to the pentagram and self-reflection.
Creating all of these vigils across the state, sometimes driving over 10 hours to one place, gave Benford lots of time to reflect. She said, “I use the power of the place I live in to manifest my future and who I want to be.” This is a really impactful and contemplative work to experience. Benford has created places for observation for viewers but is just as powerful, if not more, for the artist.
Experience the vigil at 9 p.m., Saturday, May 15 at Barnard Street and 38th Street. Check out Benford’s body of work here and the vigil.
