Gloucester 1944

Aaron Siskind made this gelatin silver print, called "Gloucester," capturing a close-up of weathered rocks. I can imagine Siskind moving in close, his eye finding the abstract potential in the natural world. He probably felt like he was composing with shapes as much as documenting a place. The rough textures and tonal variations become almost painterly, don’t they? Those barnacle-covered surfaces and deep shadows make me think about the weight of time and the power of the sea. There’s a real sense of physicality here, like you could reach out and feel the grit of the stone. It's not just about what's there, but how it's been transformed by the elements. Siskind's exploration of form and texture reminds me of the Abstract Expressionists, who were also trying to find new ways of seeing and representing the world around them. Artists are always looking at each other’s work, whether they know it or not, building on the ideas that came before.