Martha's Vineyard

Siskind carefully framed his subjects to foreground found juxtapositions—here, that of seaweed and sand—and to emphasize the small dramas they embody. Sand fills the image, creating what the artist called “a flat unyielding space,” without markers of scale and location, on which seaweed twists, turns, and knots in calligraphic gestures. Reflecting on these photographs, Siskind explained, “For the first time in my life, subject matter, as such, had ceased to be of primary importance. Instead, I found myself involved in the relationships of these objects, so much so that these pictures turned out to be deeply moving and personal experiences.”

Credit: Anonymous Fund