Boy's Head 1932

Here's a black and white photograph by Aaron Siskind called Boy's Head. It feels like a painting somehow, just because of the concentration on tone and light. I wonder, what's going on in the boy's head? What's he thinking about? What was Siskind thinking when he took this shot? I think about intention in image making, it's something all artists work with whether they want to or not. You start with a feeling, and then something happens, maybe by chance, maybe not. The high contrast and shallow depth of field in the shot creates an interesting composition, cropping the boy’s head and neck, and highlighting his features. The texture of his hair contrasts with the smooth skin of his face. Siskind plays with light and shadow in a really intriguing way. It reminds me of how the work of other artists, like Charles White, or Dawoud Bey, who play with portraiture as a social tool. As artists, we're always looking, always learning from one another. It's an ongoing conversation, and each work is a contribution.