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A Personal World: The Imagery of Aaron Siskind

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Final ProjectEssay and Images

Alexis A. Clements

GS 625 OL1: History of Photography, David Arnold

Academy of Art University, Spring 2011


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Figure 1: Aaron Siskind, Chicago 224, 1953

Why Siskind Matters

Aaron Siskind (b. 1903) was a man who was not only short in stature and often

noted to be characteristically abrupt, yet lived a duality of fragility recalls student, friend,

and biographer Carl Chiarenza [1]. Siskind is a photographer who cannot be mentioned

without comparing his works to that of abstract expressionist painters like Franz Kline

and Willem De Kooning, both painters who adopted acceptance of Siskind's abstract

photography before being accepted by other photographers [2]. Before turning the


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camera to found abstractions, Siskind was a member of the Photo League and his

photographic beginnings began with depictive artistic involvement by photographing

politically charged documentary works. Although commiserative of the political ideas of

the Photo League, Siskind became disenchanted with their political agenda and separated

from the group. In 1943 Siskind had what he called a picture experience, a

photographic epiphany in Gloucester, MA (Figure 5) where he began allowing objects to

express themselves in their own way [3]. This pivotal moment created a stir among

photographic communities, yet acceptance from all other arts. Taking the ideas sown by

Alfred Stieglitzs The Equivalentand straight photography, Siskind advanced them and

found his place in the history of photography by introducing the idea of expressionistic

abstract photography that is noted to be one the most widely used approaches in

photography today [4]. This essay will explore Siskinds picture experiences by

addressing Siskinds formal and artistic involvement, photographic syntax, as well as

technological choices.


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Figure 3: Aaron Siskind,Jalapa 35 (Homage to Franz Kline), 1973


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Equivocal Form

During the early 1940s, Siskind began transitioning from making architectural

and social photographic recordings and begun focusing on small details of crumbling

urban walls (Figure 4). John Szarkowski notes in Siskinds new work as being less rigid

in depicting public meanings for the stationary vigilance of formal concerns [5].

Siskinds work carries within its frame a deliberate use of flatness of space, visual

texture, shapes, differences between high and low contrast values that heighten the

sharpening of each image for expressive purposes. These formal qualities combined with

abstraction did not gain him popularity among photographers. Siskinds work using

gestural formal qualities was most accepted within the abstract expressionist school (of

the time that) and this signature style Siskind carried through the rest of his life (d. 1991)

[6]. Siskind was not only influenced formally by these painters but also had a hand with

his early abstractions of influencing the work of Franz Kline who was known for painting

with a black and white palette (Figures 2 and 3) [7]. Like noted, not all were observers

and critics of art were sold on abstract expression at the time of its arrival and critic

Margery Mann was not easily swayed and was quoted describing Siskinds works as a

quagmire of verbalization as thick and viscous as marshmallow syrup [8].

Although Siskind was known for recording the appearance of something, it could

be said that he manipulated the scene by tightly composing his images to leave out the

big picture to promote expressiveness in the details found in textural surfaces and thus


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could be placed as a photographer who used constructed artistic involvement. The

purpose of this, when I make a photograph, says Siskind, I want it to be an altogether

Figure 4: Aaron Siskind,Rome, 1963

new object, complete and self-contained, whose basic condition is order [9]. The

abstraction of these found subjects for the sake of expressiveness is referred to as the

equivalent still life where Siskind is the herald of transforming these photographic

metaphors begotten by Stieglitz [10].


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What is the true subject of the abstractions of Aaron Siskind? There seems to be a

conflict or a duality (much like the authors personality) that resonates in Siskinds

images. Siskind desired there be a relationship with viewer, yet the work could be self-

expression that may exclude the viewer. Being they are expressive equivalents, there

must be a deeper subject than that of peeling paint on a wall. There is something about

Siskinds works that is very sociological or anthropological in its purpose. As Chiarenza

writes, He has always been drawn to the remains of human presense and activity, as if

he were in search of the sources of humanity and its expression. There is not a true or

straightforwardsubjectin Siskinds work and again Chiarenza notes that Siskind was

against the self-expressive photograph, that those types of photographs take advantage

of art if it solely is about personal feelings rather than holding importance to the viewer

(Example: stirring up memories). Siskind strongly believed to make images where the

expressive metaphorical subject held a relationship with the viewer [11]. Siskinds Credo

was published first in 1956 in Spectrum where he writes about the subject of his images

being that of his own interests and experiences [12], and hence that duality.

Siskind uses photographic syntax is the traditions of the photographers who had

taken their approach in the tradition of straight photography. A movement in

photography that chose to use the camera at its fullest mechanical bounds by

maximizing focus with small apertures and extensive knowledge in getting the most tonal


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Figure 5: Aaron Siskind, Gloucester I, 1944

range from a negative. Siskinds syntax relied on straight technique and the objective

power of the cameras lens, but by deliberate election of Siskinds interest in subject and

how to depict that subject in an expressive way [13]. Choosing to use primarily large

format view cameras, first with a 5x7 and later with a 4x5 Linholf mounted on a tripod

working slowly and methodically, knowing for only going out with six sheets of film a

day (two exposures for each photograph so three in total) [3]. By the 1970s he traded in

sheet film for a square format Rollei, but still was known to work systematically the same

as before [14]. This shift from sheet film to roll film is likely due to the technological


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determinism to attempt in using lighter weight cameras for working more freely. Another

technological shift that didnt impact Siskinds syntax was his choice of film stock.

Choosing to shoot in black and white for the majority of his career and his few color

images were seldom published or exhibited [15].

Influenced by Siskind

Taking the lead by Siskind, there is a quiet and contemplative approach to

photographing abstract expressionism through photography. Setting out to do so,

choosing the alleyways of an urban neighborhood rich in textures of the entropy that is

inevitable where evidence of human production and neglect I set out with my modern

camera of digital technology with a 35mm macro lens, no tripod and dog in tow.

Photographing tight compositions of age worn subject matter in expressive ways is a

style in photography that I am no stranger to. In the past I never approached it with

Siskind in mind, today I do.

In each of the images below, I chose to focus on selective details of the scene

before me. Taking flatness of space, visual texture, and unique intricacies in

consideration. In each of the images below I feel my images fit in the tradition of Aaron

Siskind by the power of seeing. Anyone can set out with their camera with the intention

of photographing black and white surface textures just about anywhere. Siskind had a

heighten sense of awareness that was unique to him. I cannot say that I serve him any

justice, but I can say that I have taken the path of Siskind by devoting these sampling of

images working towards a straight methodology of photographic practice and training

myself to be hyper aware of form and arrangements to create order within the frame,


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Figure 6: Aaron Siskind, Chicago 27, 1960

and thinking of the previously mentioned quote by Siskind [9] to create an all together

new object.

A thing that differs from myself and Siskind that is seen in these images is that

using lines in a gestural way is a bit of a challenge for myself due to the fact that I seek to

make lines rigid and in a sense too ordered, relying primarily in the imperfections of the

subjects themselves to assist in any gestural rendering but these could be compared to

Siskinds Chicago 27(Figure 6). Another characteristic lifted from Siskinds work was

incorporating graffiti or text as seen in Chicago 224 and New York 86(Figure 1 and 7)


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This way of photographing is not as easy as it looks as one must look past a subject they

may dismiss. I chose to borrow the formal qualities and a modern syntax of Siskinds,

but compose and notice details unique to myself and inspired by him.

The title of this essay comes from Siskinds credo where he asks, What is the

subject matter of this apparently personal world? [12]. As implied above that it rests not

only on the photographer and his chosen subject infused with his own personal

experiences but that of the viewer to decode with their own experiences a subject that

relates to them. If you have the mind that allows free association Siskinds imagery will

allow you to find clues that are meaningful to you. Theyre there. He put them there for

you to discover. We all see in our own personal worlds.


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Figure 7: Aaron Siskind,New York 86, 1986


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Images Inspired by Aaron Siskind

By Alexis A. Clements

Plate One


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Plate Two


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Plate Three


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Plate Four


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Plate Five


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Plate Six


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Plate Seven


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Plate Eight


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Plate Nine


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Plate Ten


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Works Cited:

1. Chiarenza, Carl.Pleasures and Terrors. New York Graphic Society. 1892. Pg. 1.

2. "AaronSiskind."Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. EncyclopediaBritannica, 2011. Web. 11 May. 2011.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/546679/Aaron-Siskind.

3. Rhem, James.Aaron Siskind. Phaidon. 2003. Pg. 10.

4. AAU, History of Photography Module 10, Session 10.5. Szarkowski, John.Looking At Photographs. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. 1973. Pg.

156.

6. Bunnell, Peter.InsideThe Photograph, Aarond Siskind: The Bond and The Free. Aperture. 2006.Pg. 92.

7. Grundberg, Andy. Otherworldly Abstractions of Aaron Siskind. New York Times. Web. 11 May.2011. http://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/08/arts/review-photography-the-otherworldly-

abstractions-of-aaron-siskind.html?src=pm.

8. Eisinger, Joel. Trace and Transformation: American Criticism of Photography in the ModernistPeriod. Uiversity of New Mexico Press. 1995. Pg. 201.

9. Siskind, Aaron.Aaron Siskind: Photographs 1932-1978. Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. 1979.Pg. 7.

10. AAU, History of Photography Module 10, Session 10.11. Chiarenza, Carl.Pleasures and Terrors. New York Graphic Society. 1892. Pg. 4.

12. Siskind, Aaron.Aaron Siskind: Photographs 1932-1978. Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. 1979.Pg. 7.


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13. Eisinger, Joel. Trace and Transformation: American Criticism of Photography in the ModernistPeriod. Uiversity of New Mexico Press. 1995. Pg. 182

14. Chiarenza, Carl.Pleasures and Terrors. New York Graphic Society. 1892. Pg. 187.

15. Rhem, James.Aaron Siskind. Phaidon. 2003. Pg. 118.

Figures:

1. Siskind, Aaron.Aaron Siskind. Phaidon. 2003. Pg. 61

2.Kline,Franz.TheRobertandJaneMeyerhoffCollection .Web.11May.2011.

http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2009/meyerhoff/index.shtm.

3. Siskind, Aaron.Places. Light Gallery, New York. 1976. Pg.60

4.Siskind, Aaron. The Aaron Siskind Foundation. Web. 11 May. 2011.

http://www.aaronsiskind.org/images.html.

5. Siskind, Aaron.Photographs 1932-1978. Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. 1979. Pg. 20

6.Siskind,Aaron.TheFlyingButtresses. Web.11May.2011.

http://flyingbuttresses.wordpress.com/2007/09/29/on-a-plane-somewhere-over-the-sea-above-the-rain/.

7.Siskind,Aaron.MuseumofContemporaryArt.Web.11May.2011.

http://www.mocp.org/collections/permanent/siskind_aaron.php.

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