Terracotta (Ill) 2B 1961

Aaron Siskind created this gelatin silver print, Terracotta (Ill) 2B, part of his series of work which explores the urban landscape. Siskind began his career with the Photo League, documenting social issues during the Depression era. Later, Siskind turned his lens toward abstraction. He focused on details of weathered surfaces. Graffiti, peeling paint, and eroded walls became his subjects. "When I make a photograph, I want it to be an altogether new object, complete and self-sufficient," Siskind said. His work highlights the beauty in decay and questions traditional notions of beauty and representation. Siskind invites us to reconsider our relationship with the urban environment. What do you see in the textures and patterns of the wall? How does it feel to find art in the overlooked corners of the world?