Benjamin Langford

Butterfly Pavilion, 2024

Butterfly Pavilion (2024) was originally shot in a zoo’s butterfly pavilion. Two butterflies face each other, sharing nectar from the same branch– they are framed by vines that perfectly encircle them with an uncanny sense of order, as if the moment were somehow constructed or designed. In a delicate moment, the butterflies' near-weightlessness is emphasized as they join each other on the vine, which does not bend at all with their weight despite dangling precariously. I think there is an interesting tension that occurs when one knows this is an interior space, and the butterflies are captive to their environment. They are such a symbol of freedom, beauty, and transformation, yet to consider their entire existence will be contained within the glass of a greenhouse I find melancholic and poignant. It is a moment of connection and provokes a sense that everything is in alignment– weightlessness, freedom, and nectar to be shared– despite the boundaries of their world. –Benjamin Langford

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