Martha's Vineyard 9 1952

Aaron Siskind made this gelatin silver print, Martha's Vineyard 9. I can't help but see it as a drawing with light, the negative itself like a plate, accumulating subtle marks of light on a textured surface. I imagine Siskind composing this image, spotting the right fragment of beach, adjusting his camera, trying to capture the weight and placement of the seaweed. It's not just about representation; it's about feeling. Look at that twisting gesture at the top – it's as dynamic as a brushstroke. Siskind was deeply influenced by Abstract Expressionist painting, and you can see that influence here. The seaweed isn't just seaweed; it's a line, a form, an emotion. Like Franz Kline's gestural abstraction or the surrealism of Joan Miró. It's a reminder that artists are always looking, always transforming the world around them into something new.