St. Louis 9 1955

Editor: Aaron Siskind's "St. Louis 9," a gelatin silver print from 1955, presents this fascinating arrangement of abstract shapes and lettering in monochrome. It's kind of gritty and textural; almost like looking at a weathered wall. I’m curious – what do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, I’m immediately drawn to the conversation between chaos and control. Siskind finds beauty in the decay of urban surfaces. I love that he's not staging anything, simply *finding* these compositions. The peeling posters, the random markings – it's all pure accident, right? – yet he frames it with such intent that it feels deliberate, intentional. Almost like street poetry. What do you make of the letterforms scattered throughout the image? Editor: They remind me of early experiments with typography in painting. The 'O' and 'P' sort of ground the abstraction, make it almost recognizable, and tease my brain, trying to read something. It keeps it from being purely abstract. Does it remind you of Abstract Expressionism? Curator: Absolutely! He’s taking cues from Abstract Expressionist painters like Franz Kline but finding his action in the real world rather than inventing it on canvas. Siskind believed in the expressive potential of the mundane. Have you considered what this represents about postwar urban life? All the layers and signs... Editor: No, I hadn’t considered that…So, it's almost like a time capsule of urban visual culture, transformed into abstract art? I initially just saw it formally. Curator: Exactly. These weren’t merely documentary shots for him. He elevates the street into the spiritual. He isn't just recording what's there, but creating something entirely new out of it. What does "St Louis 9" mean, anyway? Hmmm, perhaps more questions than answers… Editor: Thinking about Siskind’s process – finding art rather than creating it – completely shifts my understanding. It opens up new avenues for thinking about photography and abstract art.