The photograph Recife (Olinda) 13 was shot by Aaron Siskind in Pernambuco, Brazil during 1986. The black and white photo shows the wooden frame of some unknown object, similar looking to a wooden stool. A chain is draped across and around one of its “legs”, and in the dark background some more pieces of wood are visible. Although the shot is quite simple, there are several aspects that draw one’s eye toward it. The wooden frame is painted white, contrasting it heavily from the background, and the white paint is flaking off on the edges, creating a rough and weathered texture. Nails also pepper the wood, one sticking out at a strange angle, and the bottom corner is engraved with some letters. The metal chain twisting through the frame adds some depth and intricacy to the shot, and the shot is taken from a slightly off-kilter angle so one can tell that the wooden frame is a three dimensional, cubic shape. On the far side of the frame the striped wood grain texture is more visible, as the paint is more worn than on the top. The composition of the shot is one of its most unique qualities, as the rectangular frame is diagonally framed across the photo, and the dark wood in the background is positioned diagonally within that frame. This creates an almost spiral-like quality to the shot, bringing the focus to the center of the photo.
Good attention to detail and compositional elements like diagonals, light and texture.