Terrors and Pleasures of Levitation #477 1956

Editor: Here we have Aaron Siskind's gelatin silver print, "Terrors and Pleasures of Levitation #477" from 1956. The stark contrast immediately catches the eye; a figure suspended against a bright white backdrop. It feels unsettling, almost like a dream. What's your read on this piece? Curator: You nailed it - unsettling *is* the feeling. To me, it’s like peering into someone else's subconscious. The title suggests this push-pull, right? Terrors AND pleasures... I feel this intense liberation in the body's form contrasted with the… void. It’s kind of funny when you realize how much our response comes down to pure gut reaction when you strip all context away. Does the silhouette amplify the emotional impact, you think? Editor: Definitely. I mean, without the facial features, it becomes a universal body, or a shadow of one. Does that resonate with the abstract expressionist label it has? Curator: Oh, for sure. It mirrors abstract expressionism’s quest for pure feeling and raw emotional expression, by paring down recognizable reality.. There’s also this… detachment, maybe even anxiety? This singular form afloat with all but nothing around...What kind of conversation does it strike up for you? Editor: That isolation is interesting, I had not thought about it, given I am so focused on his movement, which almost makes me excited... But there's nowhere to land. Curator: Exactly! So it seems that Siskind really managed to harness the power of the photographic medium to go deeper, don't you think? Like visual poetry. Editor: Absolutely! Now I see more clearly this juxtaposition and complexity. I went from just “wow, someone jumping” to experiencing a deep emotional space. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Maybe it’s our collective subconscious— levitating, weightless and unsure of when, or if, we’ll ever come down!