Boy's Head 1932

Aaron Siskind made this photograph, Boy’s Head, with light and a silver gelatin process. It’s a beauty. What hits me first is the range of grays, from almost-white to deep black, a full tonal spectrum. Look at the boy’s head: the texture of his hair, each tiny curl distinct. Then there’s the light catching the curve of his forehead, the subtle shadow defining his cheekbone. It’s all about seeing, right? Siskind's abstract expressionist photography style made me think of painters like Franz Kline, who abstracted forms to find new meanings. I think Siskind was onto something profound, like the way every tiny mark, every subtle gradation, adds up to something bigger, something that lingers in your mind long after you’ve walked away.