Pleasures and Terrors of Levitation #14 1957

Aaron Siskind's 1957 gelatin silver print, "Pleasures and Terrors of Levitation #14," captures a diver in mid-air, his body contorted against the stark white background. The photograph's high contrast and emphasis on the diver's form, frozen in time, highlight the tension and exhilaration of freefall. The work is part of Siskind's series, “Pleasures and Terrors of Levitation”, a study of the human body in motion and the abstract qualities of form. Siskind's iconic black and white photography is a key example of American modernism.