Five Lit Girls (2019) Original the surface carries traces of

the surface carries traces of time—what is recorded

and the act of standing together—now

The picture shows four girls blending in as one with their urban community

is not accidental

The title nods to the emotional tension echoed in Benson’s Masquerade—the idea of moving through the world behind carefully held faces

Five Lit Girls (2019) Original the surface carries traces of"Five Lit Girls" in a dynamic urban neighborhood where they are merged as one with their environment, i. e., their culture, their history, and their futures. The girls are rooted in the historical experience of African American people both distinct and enormously influential on American culture as a whole.