Jalapa 14 (Homage to F.K.) 1973

This is Aaron Siskind’s photograph, Jalapa 14, a black and white image. It is a photograph but it could easily be mistaken for painting. It looks like a brush has been dragged across the surface, leaving behind these intense black marks. It's as if Siskind is exploring the very act of mark-making, questioning how a simple gesture can evoke so much. The image has so much texture, from the gritty background to the dense, almost velvety blacks. The way the light catches the edges of each stroke gives them a sculptural quality. The top left black mark, see how it bleeds into the white background, like ink on wet paper? This tension between control and chance is what makes the piece feel so alive. I can’t help but think of Franz Kline, another artist who embraced the raw energy of black and white abstraction. Siskind, like Kline, shows us that art isn't about perfection, but about the messy, beautiful process of bringing something new into the world.