Cathy c. 1952

Aaron Siskind made this photograph, called Cathy, using silver gelatin. The monochrome tonality creates a tactile impression. It's like Siskind is sculpting with light and shadow. Look at how the grainy texture of the sand contrasts with the smoothness of the skin. It’s a study in contrasts; soft and rough, light and dark. The hand, partially buried, emerges from the sandy ground, with each finger casting a tiny shadow. It makes me think about our own bodies, and how we are so very fragile but also resilient. Siskind played with scale a lot in his work. The work of Harry Callahan also comes to mind. Both were experimenting with abstraction at a time when photography was very much rooted in realism. It’s a good reminder that art can be found in the everyday, and that beauty can be found in the unexpected.