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Chicago 30 by Aaron Siskind

Artwork by Aaron Siskind, Chicago 30

Aaron Siskind
Chicago 30

gelatin silver print
signed, inscribed "Chicago" and dated 1949 within the lower margin; titled and dated on a label on the reverse
14.5 x 18.25 in ( 36.8 x 46.4 cm ) ( image )

Auction Estimate: $1,000.00$800.00 - $1,000.00

Price Realized $1,968.00
Sale date: March 25th 2025

Provenance:
Light Gallery, New York
The Collection of Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc.
Phillips, auction, New York, 26 April, 2003, lot 33
Private Collection, New York
Christie's auction, New York Tuesday, 6 October 2015, lot 173
Estate of Robert Noakes
Aaron Siskind preferred to capture photographs in dialogue with the abstract expressionist painters of post-war New York, whom he was connected to. He was looking to go beyond documentary photography and capture recognizable objects. Graffiti on walls, chalk, and peeling paint and paper comprised the abstract images Siskind produced and would further help to develop the art form of photography.

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Aaron Siskind
(1903–1991)

HighlightsWatch Artist

Aaron Siskind was a New York City-born photographer who began his artistic career in 1930 after working as a high school English teacher. From 1933 until 1941, he was a member of the Film and Photo League in New York, a group of documentary photographers focused on addressing the social conditions of the city. His lively and detail-oriented work served as a notable contribution to the development of avant-garde art in America. During their shared breakthrough, Siskind became close friends with important abstract expressionist painters such as Franz Kline, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. Siskind was head of the Department of Photography at Chicago’s Institute of Design from 1961 to 1971. Over the course of his career, Siskind received many recognitions, including a Guggenheim Fellowship.