By Aaron Siskind
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Throughout his illustrious career, Aaron Siskind (1903-1992) focused on the dramatic textures found in both urban settings and in nature.
In recent years, curators have positioned Siskind alongside other American painters and sculptors (including Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell and Louise Nevelson) rather than photographers of the era.
Siskind started his career as a documentary photographer and a member of the Photo League.
He and his colleagues were interested in photography as a tool to record and address social inequalities of the day. For example, many of his images from the 1930's explored life in Harlem.
In the early 1940's Siskind drifted away from social depictions preferring to capture images that focused on textures and shapes. Images of advertising fragments, graffiti and sidewalks become engaging and hypnotic because of their abstract qualities rather than the subject matter.
As a result he became one of the first "abstract" photographers. Siskind's aesthetic and sensibility evolved parallel to the Abstract Expressionist movement.
As a result he was the only photographer to be included in the groundbreaking 9th Street Art...
Category
1970s Abstract Aaron Siskind Prints and Multiples