In the summer of 1943 Aaron Siskind created a series of photographs based on seaweed strewn at the beach. The images, which were largely close-up abstractions, were radically different from his previous documentation of American society, which were mostly architectural or figural. By turning his lens to the naturally occurring compositions of seaweed, Siskind’s focus had turned to line and form on a flattened plane with astute dedication, as if he were relearning the alphabet. The following summer, as seen in the current lot, Siskind developed these seemingly abstracted images into a fully mature formal language. The images were filled with the power to transcend the immediate, superficial associations with the subject and present a formerly unseen vital beauty.
1944 Gelatin silver print, flush-mounted. 9 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (24.1 x 16.5 cm) Signed 'Aaron', dated and inscribed, 'Happy Birthday/ to Shin/ Jan. 1, 1948' in ink on the reverse of the mount.