Five Characteristics of Siskind’s Work:

1. Extreme Close-Ups of the wall/environment.
2. High Contrast – Bold blacks and whites to emphasize texture and drama.
3. Flatness – The photographs taken appear two-dimensional, creating abstract “canvases” for the audience
4. Organic vs. Geometric – Contrasts chaotic textures such as the peeling walls with the rigid shapes such as the graffiti lines.
5. Emotional Expression – The images feel both chaotic and meditative, leaving mood open to interpretation.

Siskind’s photos are considered to be abstract because they isolate fragments of reality. By removing scale and context, he turns decay into art, asking viewers to focus on shape, light, and emotion rather than literal meaning.

I love how his work finds beauty in decay. The textures feel alive, like landscapes or ancient scripts. His photos are puzzles—you’re forced to slow down and “read” the details and you enjoys the process of doing it.

Quotation by Aaron Siskind:

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

My project focuses on the similar themes compared with Siskind’s work, such the stories hidden in abandoned spaces. Like Siskind, I want to zoom in on textures (rusted metal, cracked concrete) to turn decay into something poetic. His work shows how even broken things can hold beauty and mystery.

 

I chose “North Carolina 1951“ because it perfectly shows Siskind’s talent for turning ordinary decay into a piece of art. The photograph looks like a crumbling wall becomes a wild landscape of cracks, shadows, and textures. It’s simple but full of energy, making me stare at every detail of it. The surprising part is how unrecognizable it is at first glance. I wondered: Is it a dried riverbed? A burnt piece of paper? It’s actually just a close-up of a weathered surface, but Siskind’s framing makes it feel special and mysterious. The longer the audience look at it, the more their brain tries to “solve” it, but it stays abstract. Texture is the main thing that let this photo become special. The rough cracks, peeling layers, and gritty grooves make the image feel tactile. Siskind uses texture to create layers. Deep shadows carve into the wall, while lighter areas look like decorations that were meant to be there. Without texture, this would just be a flat, boring wall.