New York 255 1978

Aaron Siskind made this gelatin silver print, “New York 255,” at an unknown date. Siskind turned to photography after a politically engaged youth when he was a member of the New York Photo League. Siskind's abstract photography, which he began in the 1940s, often focused on urban decay. In this image, a roughly painted letter, probably a “P,” is weathered and worn, its edges peeling away from the surface to which it was applied. The image operates through a complex visual code, referencing the social conditions of mid-20th century urban America. The peeling paint and crumbling surfaces speak to a certain kind of urban neglect, alluding to the socio-economic dynamics of New York at the time. This resonates with the Photo League's earlier documentary work, but without the overt political messaging. To truly understand Siskind's work, we might explore the archives of the Photo League or delve into urban studies of mid-century New York. Art, after all, never exists in a vacuum. It’s always part of a broader social and institutional landscape.