Aaron siskind

Aaron was a American photographer. He is considered to be closely involved with, if not a part

of, the abstract expressionist movement.

Siskind was a grade school English teacher in the New York Public School System for 25 years,

and began photography when he received a camera for a wedding gift and began taking pictures

on his honeymoon. Early in his career Siskind was a member of the New York photo league,

where he produced several significant socially conscious series of images in the 1930s, among

them "Harlem Document".

Siskind's work focuses on the details of nature and architecture. He presents them as flat surfaces

to create a new image which stands independent of the original subject. For some his work has

been described as crossing the line between photography and painting, his photographs are works

unique to the art form of photography.

Siskind was born in New York City, siskind grew up on the lower east side. Shortly after

graduating from city college, he became a public school English teacher.

He was the son of Russian Jewish immigrants and the fifth of six children.

On the invitation of Harry Callahan, Siskind joined the faculty of the Institute of Design in

Chicago in 1951, taking over as head of the photography program in 1961, when Callahan left.

Siskind and Callahan, famous for their synergy as teachers and photographers, reunited in 1971

when SIskind left the Institute of Design for the Rhode Island School of Design where Callahan

then taught.