Aaron Siskind

flush-mounted to Masonite, signed and dated by the photographer in pencil on the reverse, 1951; accompanied by a fragment of the Egan Gallery, New York, label, inscribed 'Siskind,' 'Photo '51,' and priced '35' by Egan in ink

The photographer to Charles Egan, early 1950s

Collection of Egan's widow, Teresa Egan

Egan Gallery, New York, early 1950s

Another print of this image:

Aaron Siskind, Photographs (New York, 1959), pl. 22

As is characteristic of Siskind's early exhibition prints, particularly those that were shown at Charles Egan's gallery in the late 1940s and early 1950s, this print is flush-mounted to Masonite. Three narrow wooden blocks are glued to the reverse of the mount, which create a space between the photograph and wall when hung. The photograph has survived in very good condition. It shares some of the minor condition features of other early Masonite-mounted prints. When the print is viewed in raking light, a faint craquelure can be seen across the print's surface -- this does not break the emulsion. Also visible in raking light are several areas where the print did not adhere completely to the Masonite during the mounting process – these very slightly raised areas are not immediately apparent. Also typical of Masonite-mounted prints – and visible in the present print – is chipping of the emulsion along the edges, most pronounced here along the bottom edge. The print is a beautiful one, with rich strong gray tones that convey a great deal of the subject's textural detail. The condition issues described above do not diminish the impressive appearance of this print.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This early mounted exhibition print comes originally from the collection of pioneering New York City gallerist Charles Egan (1911-1993).  Between 1947 and 1954, Egan held five exhibitions of Siskind's photographs in his mid-town gallery—a remarkable venture, given the lack of any real market for fine-art photography at the time.  The original Egan Gallery label which accompanies this photograph prices it at $35.  The photograph failed to sell during the gallery exhibition, proof that both Siskind—as a photographer—and Egan—as a gallery owner—possessed a vision that was, for the most part, beyond the comprehension of the marketplace of the day.  

Siskind was introduced to Egan by the painter Barnett Newman in 1947.  Egan's gallery was one of the first venues for the work of the most adventurous artists of the day, including Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Isamu Noguchi, and Joseph Cornell, long before their artistic contributions had received widespread acknowledgement, and well before handling the work was a lucrative prospect.  Egan's willingness to show unproven art led him to offer Siskind a series of one-man exhibitions.   While Siskind would be the first photographer shown by Egan, he was not the last.  In 1949, Egan offered Siskind's friend, the photographer and artist Frederick Sommer, his first solo exhibition of photographs and drawings.     

Siskind made Harlan, Kentucky, during the summer of 1951, while teaching photography alongside Harry Callahan at the progressive Black Mountain College near Asheville, North Carolina.  Black Mountain's faculty consisted almost exclusively of figures who would become legends in their respective fields, Josef Albers, John Cage, Franz Kline, Buckminster Fuller, Clement Greenberg, Charles Olson, Robert Creeley, and Merce Cunningham among them.  During the summer of 1951, Robert Motherwell and Ben Shahn taught separate painting courses, and Robert Rauschenberg and Cy Twombly attended as students. 

Siskind used Black Mountain as a launching point for photographic excursions into the surrounding area and Kentucky.  In Harlan, he made an extensive series of photographs of a wall made from old wooden planks originally painted with signage.  The photograph offered here comes from this series and incorporates the abstraction present in the work of Motherwell or de Kooning, yet is filled with photographic detail.  This image is reproduced in Siskind's first monograph, Photographs (New York, 1959), which is dedicated to Charles Egan. As is characteristic of the prints Siskind showed at the Egan Gallery, the photograph offered here is mounted to thick Masonite, a treatment which gives the print a three-dimensional presence on the wall not typically associated with photographs.