February 1 - March 15, 2024

Opening reception: Thursday, February 1, 6:00-8:00pm        

Anders Wahlstedt Fine Art is pleased to present AARON SISKIND/Into Abstraction. This is the Gallery’s first photography exhibit since the move down to the Chelsea district in 2018 from the Upper East Side.    

Aaron Siskind, a master of capturing the essence of abstract forms in his photography, has been a pivotal figure in transforming photography into a novel visual language. This exhibit features a remarkable collection of Siskind's works that delve deep into the realm of abstract expressionism, a territory where photography intersects with the emotional and the enigmatic. On view are fifteen gelatin silver prints that represent the crux of Siskind’s artistic practice all while serving as a visual diary chronicling his extensive cross-continental explorations.  

Siskind’s works, characterized by their intense focus on the details of everyday objects and surfaces, hold the power to transform the mundane into mesmerizing forms that invite the viewer’s participation in the construction of their meanings. The photographs curated for this exhibit are no exception. While the titles draw direct linkage to real-world geographical locations––––Chicago, Wickesberg, N.Y. 2, et cetera.––––and seemingly denote a coherent spatial reality, the visual presentation immediately disputes such indications. Siskind’s close examination of textures and materials that tend to go unnoticed such as rock grains, tree barks, or peeled walls effectively displaces the subject matters from their origin. Void of color, the images speak volumes through their play of light, shadow, texture, and shape, inviting viewers to explore their personal interpretations and emotional responses.  

Altogether, the works serve to challenge the documentarian conventions of photography, encouraging viewers to question and redefine their perceptions of reality and art.  

Aaron Siskind’s photographs can be found in many public collections, such as Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Metropolitan Museum, New York, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles and Art Institute of Chicago. The Aaron Siskind archives are held at the Center for Creative Photography, Arizona.