Aaron Siskind was an American photographer.

He was
born in New York City on December 4, 1903. Siskind
came from a Russian-Jewish immigrant family of six.
Siskind was always interested in art- poetry and music
being the first to catch his interest. It wasnt until that he
received a camera for his wedding gift that his interest in
photography sparked. He became so passionate for
capturing photos that he became a member of the New
York Photo League, a place where hed be able to receive training while specializing in social
documentation. He led a unit of photographer that captured the spirit of the working-class, urban
life, and Depression-Era New York City. It is during this where he was able to form a type of
artistic style- abstract. Siskind left the New York Photo League and instead found himself
associated with the New York School of Abstract Expressionism. His photos consisted of
Siskind approaching the subjects up close and personal as a way to capture their every single
detail of theirs. This new, more abstract work impressed many of the art elite, earning Siskind a
show at the Charles Egan Gallery. In 1951, Siskind moved to Chicago to teach photography at
the Institute of Design, taking head of the photography department ten years later. Siskind work
will forever be known as the dramatic shift from social documentation to abstraction.

This is one of Aaron Siskinds photographs. This one stood out to

me because of the way it makes me feel, I personally love the
intimate photographs of body parts because it brings out a sense of
warmth. Youre able to note every detail of the foot that youve
never noticed before, such as the arch or the fine lines. The
background reminds me of the clouds and it looks so soft to contrast
with the heavy foot. I like the small connection of the heel and the
toe, its soft touches such as those that connect with the audience.
Its a photo that reminds of me of cloudy, summer days spent
outside in the grass.

This is Siskinds photo at Martha Vineyards. It is here that he really

went all in with his abstract style. This photo makes me think as if its the smallest rock that is
holding up the rest. Youre able to see the texture and the structure of the rock and boulders.
Nature provides photographers with details and situations that day-to-day people see but its
people like Aaron Siskind that are able to witness it and capture it in its full glory. To see the
texture is to feel as if you can feel it, thats why I find this photo so mesmerizing.
This photograph is by-far my favorite from Aaron Siskind. The plant
against the neutral background allows it to look so crisp but also as if
its slowly moving back and forth. The simplicity of the photograph
connects with me on a personal level for I admire the photos that are
able to look so beautiful without doing so much. Aaron Siskind has
an eye for detail and though this plant doesnt hold so much detail,
Siskind still found a way to allow the plant to stand out.