Aaron Siskind : toward a personal vision 1935-1955

88 Pages·1994·5 MB·English

by  Siskind, Aaron

AARON
SISKIND:
Edited by
TOWARD A PERSONAL VISION Deborah Martin Kao and
Charles A. Meyer
1935-1955
Coverphotograph:
MorrisEngel
PortraitofAaronSiskind (ca 1947)
NationalPortraitGallery/
SmithsonianInstitution

AARON
SISKIND: Edited by
TOWARD A PERSONAL VISION Deborah Martin Kao and
Charles A. Meyer
1935-1955
Boston College Museum ofAr
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
AARONSISKIND:TOWARDAPERSONALVISION "TheFeatureGroup"byAaronSiskindfromPhoto RichardNickel’sphotographsfromtheAaronSiskindand
1935-1955. Notes.June-July1940 RepnntedinNathanLyons, Students'LouisSullivanProject.InstituteofDesign.
editor. PhotoNotes(facsimile).AVisualStudiesRepnnt Chicago,ca1956,inthecollectionofLenGittieman.
Copyright©1994byBostonCollegeMuseumofArt, Book(Rochester:VisualStudiesWorkshop,1977). Reprintedbypermissionof theRichardNickelCommittee.
DeborahMartinKaoandCharlesA.Meyer RepnntedbypermissionoftheAaronSiskind LenGittieman,andJohnVinci.
Foundation
Foreword:Copynght©1994byCarlChiarenza “ThePhotographsofAaronSiskind"byElainedeKooning,
I1n9t9r4odbucytiCohna:rlTeoswAardMeayPeerrsonalVision Copynght© SSiidskGinrdosss"mTaanb'esrniansctlaellCaittioyn"pehxohitboigtriaopnhastotfheAaPrhoonto A1a9r5o1n,fSrisokmintdy’spepshcontpotgirnatprhosduhcetlidonattoChaanrleexshiEbgitainonGaolflery.
PersonalVisioninAaronSiskind’sDocumentaryPractice: League.1940,inapnvatecollection Repnntedby 63East57thStreet.NewYorkCity.February5thto24th.
Copynght©1994byDeborahMartinKao permissionoftheSidGrossmanFoundation 1951,inthecollectionofNathanLyons.VisualStudies
Workshop.Rochester.NewYork. Reprintedbypermission
ALLRIGHTSRESERVED PnntedintheUnitedStatesof "GuggenheimEssay”byAaronSiskind,ca1956,from of MarjorieL.Luyckx,Executrix,theElainedeKooning
Amenca Nopartofthisanthologymaybeusedor typescnpt“Item3Accomplishments"foraJohnSimon Estate
reproducedinanymannerwhatsoeverwithout GuggenheimMemorialFoundationgrantapplicationin
permissionfromtheBostonCollegeMuseumofArt, theAaronSiskindArchive.CenterforCreative AaronSiskind’sphotographsreproducedinthisanthology
exceptinthecaseofbnefquotationsembodiedincritical Photography,theUniversityofAnzona.Tucson. arereprintedbypermissionofthespecifiedlenders,and
articlesorreviews Forinformation,address Boston ReprintedbypermissionoftheAaronSiskind theAaronSiskindFoundation.
CollegeMuseumofArt,ChestnutHill.MA 02167 Foundation
‘TabemadeCity PhotographsbyAaronSiskind"byHenry
Publishedinconjunctionwithanexhibitionof “Harlem”fromFortune.July1939 Textrepnntedby BeetleHough.1940.fromafour-pageexhibition
thesametitle permissionofTime.Inc Photographsrepnntedby catalogueproducedbyAaronSiskindandAlexR.Stavenitz
DeborahMartinKaoandCharlesA.Meyer.Curators permissionoftheAaronSiskindFoundation,theWendell intheAaronSiskindArchive.CenterforCreative
MacRaeEstate.HanselMieth.andCarlMydans Photography. UniversityofArizona.Tucson Repnntedby
BostonCollegeMuseumofArt permissionoftheAaronSiskindFoundationandEdith
September30-December11.1994 ‘Interview withAaronSiskind”byJaromirStephany. Blake
1963,fromanaudio-tapeprovidedbyJaromirStephany
Thisexhibitionandanthologywerepartiallyfundedby andTomBeck, AlbmO KuhnLibraryandGallery, TowardaHarlemDocument,one-pageexhibition
tahnedNtahteioAnaarlonEnSdisokwimndenFtoufnodratthieonArts,^Dteiiefaglagiencty*izUneivedratyabfMayrylantdBahltiemoreCfIuntny Etditeedrbynet-catAalagruebcyAahroniSisvkindeandMDiokcelum[eMincthaFeela]tuCarreteGrr.oup
hoolforSocialResearch.
LIiSbBrNary0-o9f6C4o0n1g5r3e-s1s-C5atalogCardNumber 9Q.4t.-7^90 InterviewwithAarc a ^ 616939\WAe/osmrt+t11h2eTtfAhKaSCrtforrGneZebtSt.isMNkiaenmwdAVYraocrrhLkivCei.tyC.eMnateyr8ftohrCtroe2a1tisvte
fromatranscnptionp'll^lcby^mlrils |afe| Photography.UniversityofArizona.Tucson. Repnntedby
EditedbyDeborahMaltmlaofr^^w fle^mtedby permissionoftheAaronSiskindFoundation.
permissionof theAaronSiskindFoundationand
Gratefulacknowledgementismadeforpermissionto CharlesTraub "WorkSheet"byAaronSiskindandtheFeatureGroup
reprintthefollowingarticles,ephemera,and fromthePhotoLeague.HariemDocumentFeatureGroup
photographs: InterviewwithAaronSiskind"byBonnieYochelson ProjectledbyAaronSiskind.1938-1940.intheAaron
UnpublishedtapedinterviewwithAaronSiskindby SiskindArchive.CenterforCreativePhotography.
BookMaquette.LouisSullivanProject.AaronSiskind BonnieYochelsonforCharlesTraubsphotographyclass UniversityofAnzona.Tucson. Reprintedbypermissionof
andStudents.InstituteofDesign.Chicago,1956.inthe attheSchoolforVisual Arts.NewYorkCity.February theAaronSiskindFoundation.
collectionofJohnVinci,theRichardNickelCommittee 1988 ExcerptstranscnbedbyDeborahMartinKaoin
RepnntedbypermissionoftheAaronSiskind 1994 ExcerptsreprintedbypermissionoftheAaron
Foundation.JamesBlair.LenGittieman.theRichard SiskindFoundationandBonnieYochelson PhotoCredits: ThephotographsandhistoncaJdocuments
NickelCommittee,andJohnVinci inthisanthologyhavebeenreproducedfromcopyprints.
"LearningPhotographyattheInstituteofDesign"by CopypnntsweremadebytheBostonCollegeOfficeof
"Credo”byAaronSiskind. 1950,fromtypescnptinthe AaronSiskindandHarryCallahanfromAperture4.no 4. PublicationsandPrintMarketing.GeoffWhyphotogra-
AaronSiskindArchive.CenterforCreativePhotography. 1956. Reprintedwithminorchangesas“FourYearsof pher.unlessotherwisenoted.
UniversityofArizona,Tucson. Firstpublishedin StudyEarnsaB.S.inPhotography"inInfinity92 CenterforCreativePhotography,DianeNilson
Spectrum(RhodeIslandSchoolofDesign)vol 6,no 2. Feburary1960 RepnntedbypermissionoftheAaron (pages17.58.62)
1956 RepnntedinNathanLyons,editor,Photographers SiskindFoundation,Aperture,andHarryCallahan DukesCountyHistoricalSociety.VineyardMuseum. Bob
onPhotography(EnglewoodCliffs.NewJersey Prentice- Shellhammer(pages38.39)
Hall,Inc.,1966) RepnntedbypermissionofRhode "MichaelCarter'sStatement"(HariemDocument)by HarvardUniversityArtMuseums(pages8.54)
IslandSchoolofDesignandtheAaronSiskind MichaelCarter,tyi^escriptfromthePhotoLeague. InternationalMuseumofPhotographyatGeorgeEastman
Foundation. HariemDocument.FeatureGroupprojectledbyAaron House.DanielBogaard(pages10.12.14.29.32.36.37)
Siskind, inthecollectionoftheGeorgeEastmanHouse. RobertKleinGallery.BostonPhotoImaging(page50)
“Chicago's SullivaninNewPhotographs"byAaron Rochester.NewYork Reprintedbypermissionofthe MuseumofArtRhodeIslandSchoolofDesign.DelBogart
SiskindandStudents.InstituteofDesign,Chicago,from AaronSiskindFoundation (page52)
ArchitecturalForum.October1954 Ongmallypublished NationalMuseumofAmericanArtSmithsonianInstitution
byTime.Inc RepnntedbypermissionoftheAaron "MuseumFellowshipEssay"byAaronSiskindfrom (page18)
SiskindFoundation, JamesBlair, LenGittieman. the handwrittendraftintheAaronSiskindArchive.Center NationalPortraitGallery.SmithsonianInstitution(Cover)
RichardNickelCommittee,andJohnVinci forCreativePhotography.UniversityofAnzona.Tucson.
Reprintedbypermissionof theAaronSiskind
“TheDramaofObjects"byAaronSiskindfromMinicam Foundation Design BostonCollegeOfficeofPublications
Photography, June1945 ReprintedinNathanLyons, andPrintMarketing.JanaSpacek.DirectorofDesign
editor.PhotographersonPhotography (Englewood "244.000NativeSons"fromLook.vol.4.May21,1940 Services.AnneCallahan.SeniorDesigner
Cliffs.NewJersey:Prentice-Hall.Inc..1966) Repnnted PhotographsrepnntedbypermissionoftheAaron Printing:QuinnPrinting.Boston.Massachusetts
inCarlChiarenza.AaronSiskind: PleasuresandTerrors SiskindFoundation. EditorialConsultantNancyJ.Witting
(Boston:Little.BrownandCompany, inassociationwith LegalConsultantSteveJ.Frank.CesanandMcKenna
theCenterforCreativePhotography.1982). Repnnted “OutlineNov 6Religion"byAaronSiskindandMichael
bypermissionoftheAaron^isljindFoundatj Carter. *93fJ-19|K).fromthefbotoLeague,Harlem
rchive
Moms
I
collectionofthelNationalPortraitGallery.Smithsonian Photo^HbHy UniversityofAnzona Tucsor Repented
Institution. ReprintedbypermissionofMorrisEngel. bypermissionoftheAaronSiskindFoundation.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4
PREFACE 5
NancyNetzer
FOREWORD 6
CarlChlarenza
INTRODUCTION: TOWARDAPERSONALVISION 9
CharlesA. Meyer
PERSONALVISION INAARONSISKIND’SDOCUMENTARYPRACTICE 12
DeborahMartin Kao
THEFEATUREGROUP(1940) 26
AaronSiskind
TABERNACLECITY: PHOTOGRAPHSBYAARONSISKIND(1940) 32
HenryBeetleHough
INTERVIEWWITHAARONSISKIND(1963) 40
JaromirStephany
THEDRAMAOFOBJECTS(1945) 50
AaronSiskind
MUSEUMFELLOWSHIPESSAY(1945-46) 54
AaronSiskind
CREDO(1950) 56
AaronSiskind
THEPHOTOGRAPHSOFAARONSISKIND(1951) 58
ElainedeKooning
GUGGENHEIM ESSAY(1956) 60
AaronSiskind
LEARNING PHOTOGRAPHYATTHEINSTITUTEOFDESIGN(1956) 64
HarryCallahanandAaronSiskind
INTERVIEWWITHAARONSISKIND(1977) 70
CharlesTraub
CHRONOLOGY 80
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Lenders Weextend oursinceregratitude tothe PortraitGallery; Maureen O'Brien and
Aaron Siskind Foundation fortheirearly Lora Urbanelli oftheMuseum ofArt,
Boston CollegeMuseum ofArt commitmenttoourproject, tothe Rhode Island School ofDesign; JohnVinci
National EndowmentfortheArtsfor ofthe Richard Nickel Committee; Judy
CenterforCreative Photography extendingto usa Special Exhibition Grant, Jacobs, VictorSchrager, CharlesTraub, and
and toCampusCamera &Video, Inc. Ira LoweoftheAaron Siskind Foundation;
Collection ofEugene Coombs Thisexhibition and anthologywould not and lenderswho preferanonymity.
have been possiblewithoutthe
Dukes CountyHistoricalSociety/ generoussupportofJ. RobertBarth, S. J., Fortheirguidanceand inspiration
VineyardMuseum Dean, CollegeofArtsand Sciencesat throughoutthecourseofassemblingthis
exhibition and anthology, weare indebted
Boston College, Richard Spinello, Associate
FHaorgvgaArrdtUMnuivseersuimtyArtMuseums CDoelalne,geanMdutsheeuFmrioefndAsrtoftThheeBeodsutcoantional tMoeroruyrAFodrveisstoar,yaBnodarJdu,dyCaJralcoCbhsi.areOnuzra,
CollectionofLen Gittleman mission ofthe Museum ofArt, and the tirelessand invaluableCuratorialAssis-
encouragementand steerageofDr Nancy tants, Heather Bradleyand MarcyMiller,
InternationalMuseum ofPhotography Netzer, Director; Alston Conley, Curator; facilitated manyaspectsofthe production
atGeorgeEastman House aConldleHgeeleMnuSsweaurtmz,ofReAgrits,trbarrouogfhtthethiBsoston ocfomthmiistpmreonjtec.twWiethairnespailrsiongdeeenpelrygyand
appreciativeofthosewho haveshared
RobertKlein Gallery exhibitionto life.
theirresearch, timeand ideaswith us:
Museum ofArt, RhodeIsland We have, wheneverpossible, endeavored Tom Beck, Susan Cohen, BarbaraCrane,
notonlyto presentvintagework, but Howard Greenberg,Jonathan Greene,
SchoolofDesign
alsotoexhibititin itsoriginal presentation Jerome Liebling, Nathan Lyons,Ward
MuseumofFineArts, Boston form. We, therefore, gratefullyacknowl- Miller, John Pultz,JaromirStephany,
edgeourlenders' shared concern for CharlesTraub, and BonnieYochelson.
NationalPortraitGallery, authenticity, and theiracceptanceofour
Manyofourcolleaguesinthe FineArts
SmithsonianInstitution wishesforthedisplayoftheworks:
Terrance Pitts, TrudyWilnerStack, Amy Departmentbolstered usatkeyjunctions
inthe processofbringingthisprojectto
RichardNickelCommittee Stark Rule, LeslieCalmesoftheCenterfor
fruition: Kenneth Craig, Karen Haas,
Creative Photography; EugeneCoombs;
Jeffery Howe,John Michalczyk, Michael
Private Collections TheodoreZ. Penn, Jill Bouck, and Mulhern, Katherine Nahum,John
RoxanneAckerman ofthe DukesCounty
ARoabreorntSMisakninndGFaolulnedryation/ GHiistttolreimcaaln;SoJcaimeetsy/CVuinnoeyaanrddMMaujsoeruiem;CoLhenn WSotelcfz.ynWskei,fAurntdhrerewwiTsahvarteolitih,aannkdAdReevaane
Bregman and Andrea Frankfortheir
ofthe Harvard UniversityArtMuseums;
expertise, andtheAdministrativeStaff,
Robert Klein ofthe RobertKlein Gallery;
MaryCareyand Susan Breen,
Jamestnyeart, Marianne Fulton, andAnn
fortheirtimeon behalfofthisproject.
McCabeofthe International Museum
of PhotographyatGeorge Eastman House; Kenneth Martin Kaoand NancyJ Witting,
RobertMannand Ann Cain ofthe ourrespectivespouses, deservespecial
RobertMann Gallery; CliffordAckleyand thanksforsupportingusin everyway.
Anne Havingaofthe Museum ofFineArts,
Boston; Mary Panzerofthe National Deborah Martin Kao
CharlesA. Meyer
Curators
PREFACE
Although Aaron Siskind'scentral position appreciatethesupportand assistanceof 5
in American aestheticphotography has Alston Conleyand Helen Swartz, Curator
been examined in previousexhibitionsand and AdministrativeAssistantofthe Boston
publications, thisexhibition isthefirstto CollegeMuseum, respectively. Needless
link hisearlierdocumentaryworkwith his tosay, withoutthe generosityofthe
later, purelyaestheticefforts, and to lending institutions, thisexhibition would
focuson Siskind's pivotal roleasateacher neverhave been possible.
and pedagogical theoristin America.
Asalways, theenthusiasticsupport
Theeducationalfocusofthisexhibition
and accompanying book, therefore, oftheadministration of Boston College,
findsaparticularlyappropriateforum in a especiallyJ. Donald Monan, S.J. (Presi-
auniversityteachingmuseum likeours. dent), Margaret Dwyer(Vice-President),
William B. Neenan S.J. (AcademicVice-
Deborah Martin Kaoand CharlesA. Meyer President), J. Robert Barth, S.J. (Dean),
organized thisexhibition, theoutgrowth Richard Spinello (Associate Dean),
ofresearch on thecurators' previous Katharine Hastings(Assistanttothe
exhibition ThePhotoLeague: A Progres- AcademicVice-President),JanaSpacek
siveEra in American Photography(Boston (DirectorofDesign Services), Susan
CollegeMuseum ofArt, 1990), when O'Connell (Development), JoanneScibilia
theyworked closelywith Aaron Siskind. (Associate Directorof Research Adminis-
Deborah Martin Kao, an arthistorian tration) and the Friendsofthe Boston
who has published numerousarticleson College Museum ofArt, chaired by Nancy
photographic history, formerlytaught and John Joyce, has been invaluable.
modern artand the historyofphotogra- Finally, itisapleasuretoacknowledgethe
phyin the FineArts Departmentat Boston generoussupportofthe National
College. She is nowAssistantCurator EndowmentfortheArts, a Federal agency,
ofPrintsforPhotographsatthe Harvard and theAaron Siskind Foundation.
UniversityArtMuseums. CharlesA.
Nancy Netzer
Meyer, an artist-photographer, isAdjunct
Director
Assistant ProfessorofFilm and Photogra-
Boston College Museum ofArt
phyinthe FineArts Departmentat Boston
College. Fortheirprofessionalism,
enthusiasm, and innovativescholarship,
wethankthem both. Wealsothank Carl
Chiarenza, Fanny KnappAllen Professor
ofArt Historyatthe Universityof
Rochester, forhis insightful foreword to
this book, and forhiswisecounsel and
supportthroughoutthisendeavor.
Forthe beautiful design ofthe book, we
are indebtedtoAnneCallahan ofDesign
Servicesat Boston College. Wegreatly
Tofollow thefresh eyes ofa picture-makerand scholar
digging collaboratively into the archives ofa master
photographeris a pleasure. Deborah Martin Kao and
Charles A. Meyer, with intelligence and creativity, show us
why Aaron Siskind was asignificantartist/teacher. They
show us and they explain forus, through primary sources
and theirown visual and verbal interpretations ofevi-
dence, why it is so importantfor us to understand Siskind
as a practitionerwho helped define whata photograph
really is in the twentieth century.
This collaborative effortfollows naturally from an
earlier, broader Meyer and Martin Kao project, The Photo
League: A Progressive Era in American Photography,
which studied relations between theory and practice. The
Siskind projectfocuses in on a key League memberto
study these relations with more depth. How do we trace
the evolution ofa personal vision? How do we interpret,
reconstruct, the path and the growth beyond the path's
edges?
One way is shown by this project'sjuxtaposition of
a creative configuration ofgroups of pictures and ephem-
era from the firstthird of Siskind’s careerwith an educated
selection ofsignificant statements and essays about his
work and his teaching (by him and by others, often from
the same years, e.g., essays by Siskind and Henry Beetle
Hough, 1940; by Siskind and Elaine de Kooning,
(1950/51), and two denselyfilled interviews (1963/1977).
This inspired montaging ofmaterials frames both the
importance of. and the contextforSiskind and his work.
Meyer rightfully pointsto Siskind's social documentary
experience as a "straight" picturemakerand teacher in the
Photo League as the foundation for his move to abstrac-
tion and to teachingatthe Institute of Design. As he
points out, Towarda Personal Vision is acase study (one
artist revealingaspects ofatrend). One ofthe ways in
which Martin Kao follows this theme is in a close analysis
ofa single Siskind picture ("Lady Preacher") against
which we can "test” otherexamples.