AARON SISKIND

December 4, 1903 – February 8, 1991

Biography

Aaron Siskind was an American photographer whose work focuses on the details of things, presented as flat surfaces to create a new image independent of the original subject. He was closely involved with, if not a part of, the abstract expressionist movement, and was close friends with painters Franz Kline (whose own breakthrough show at the Charles Egan Gallery occurred in the same period as Siskind’s one-man shows at the same gallery), Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning.

Siskind was born in New York City, growing up on the Lower East Side. Shortly after graduating from City College, he became a public school English teacher. Siskind was a grade school English teacher in the New York Public School System for 25 years, and began photography when he received a camera as a wedding gift and began taking pictures on his honeymoon.

Early in his career Siskind was a member of the New York Photo League, where he produced several significant socially conscious series of images in the 1930s, among them “Harlem Document”.

In the 1940s, Siskind lived above the Corner Book Shop, at 102 Fourth Avenue in Manhattan; he also maintained a darkroom at this location.

In 1950 Siskind was the first to obtain the guggenheim grant met Harry Callahan when both were teaching at Black Mountain College in the summer, where he also met Robert Rauschenberg who throughout his life always kept a particular Siskind print on his work wall (see MOMA retrospective 2017). Later, Callahan persuaded Siskind to join him as part of the faculty of the IIT Institute of Design in Chicago (founded by László Moholy-Nagy as the New Bauhaus. In 1971 he followed Callahan (who had left in 1961) by his invitation to teach at the Rhode Island School of Design, until both retired in the late 1970s.

Siskind was born in New York City, growing up on the Lower East Side. Shortly after graduating from City College, he became a public school English teacher. Siskind was a grade school English teacher in the New York Public School System for 25 years, and began photography when he received a camera as a wedding gift and began taking pictures on his honeymoon.

Early in his career Siskind was a member of the New York Photo League, where he produced several significant socially conscious series of images in the 1930s, among them “Harlem Document”.

In the 1940s, Siskind lived above the Corner Book Shop, at 102 Fourth Avenue in Manhattan; he also maintained a darkroom at this location.

Siskind was an influential American photographer known for his abstract and expressive photography, particularly in the realms of documentary and street photography.

The quote reflects Siskind’s profound understanding of the emotional and lasting impact that photography can have. Siskind believed that throughthe act of photography, one could not only capture visual moments but also convey and evoke deep emotions. He saw the camera as a tool that allowed photographers to connect with their subjects and the world around them on a profound level.

Siskind’s quote suggests that a photograph has the ability to preserve memories and emotions that might otherwise fade away with time. It implies that the act of photographing is an act of love and a means of capturing the essence of a moment. According to Siskind, even the smallest details that might be forgotten by the human mind can be retained through photography, serving as a lasting testament to the experiences and emotions captured in the image.