Aaron Siskind 100

by Aaron Siskind

Siskind’s style of gesture and nuance, a new form of visual calligraphy, dominated his work for the next forty years, and ran parallel to the developments of his colleagues, the abstract expressionists. Siskind was not only a critical figure in modern photography, but he also influenced the work of painters of that period, including Willem De Kooning, Franz Kline, and Robert Rauschenberg. Aaron Siskind 100 , the book and exhibition, honors the legacy of this legendary artist through six decades of an incredible photographic journey.

Genres: Photography, Urbanism

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Justin Labelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siskind’s work always presents an interesting dilemma.
He photographs everyday signs, objects and textures and wishes the audience to see them as self contained works of art. The marks and residue of the wall or close cropping of a hand painted sign generally prove successful in this endeavour while seaweed and sand remain essentially the same.
A good book with wonderful prints but I don’t always buy into the concept…

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these photographs so much. Siskind writes in the introduction: "It has been suggested that these shapes and images are underworld characters, the inhabitants of the vast common realm of memories that have gone down below the level of conscious control. It may be they are."