Item #21752 Photo Metro February 1987 [Aaron Siskind Portfolio & Interview] [San Francisco Photography]. Aaron Siskind, Photo Metro Magazine.
Photo Metro February 1987 [Aaron Siskind Portfolio & Interview] [San Francisco Photography]
Photo Metro February 1987 [Aaron Siskind Portfolio & Interview] [San Francisco Photography]
Photo Metro February 1987 [Aaron Siskind Portfolio & Interview] [San Francisco Photography]
Photo Metro February 1987 [Aaron Siskind Portfolio & Interview] [San Francisco Photography]
Photo Metro February 1987 [Aaron Siskind Portfolio & Interview] [San Francisco Photography]
Photo Metro February 1987 [Aaron Siskind Portfolio & Interview] [San Francisco Photography]
The Siskind Portfolio

Photo Metro February 1987 [Aaron Siskind Portfolio & Interview] [San Francisco Photography]

San Francisco: Photo Metro, 1987.
A significant West Coast photography periodical featuring a substantial portfolio and interview with Aaron Siskind, a foundational figure in the development of abstract photography.

Published during a high point of Bay Area photographic culture, this issue of 'Photo Metro' functions as a hybrid artifact—part exhibition catalogue, part trade journal, and part cultural chronicle. The expansive Siskind feature includes multiple full-page reproductions of his work, bridging the gap between photography and Abstract Expressionism. Surrounded by period-specific advertisements for Nikon and regional galleries, the issue serves as a primary source for the professional and aesthetic landscape of the American photography scene in the late 1980s.

KEY FEATURES
+++ Visuals: Multiple full-page black-and-white photographic reproductions by Aaron Siskind; illustrated throughout with additional photographs by contemporary Bay Area artists.
+++ Binding: Original stapled pictorial wraps in a large tabloid format.
+++ Content: Lead feature is a multi-page Aaron Siskind portfolio and interview; includes reports on 'PHOTO WEST 87', SPE conference notes, and extensive 1980s-era photographic trade advertisements.
+++ Imprint: San Francisco: Photo Metro, February 1987.
+++ Specs: 14.5 x 10.75 inches; 26 pages on newsprint stock.

CONDITION: Good.
+++ The Periodical: Complete and structurally sound. The newsprint is evenly age-toned as expected for 1980s stock. The wraps show moderate shelf handling with light rubbing.
+++ Specific Flaws: Small edge tears and a minor corner loss at the top of the front wrap (not affecting text). The interior remains clean, bright, and fully legible, with the photographic reproductions retaining high contrast.

SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ Aesthetic Evolution: Provides a contemporary 1987 perspective on Siskind’s 'Abstract Expressionist' phase, which shifted the focus of the camera from the 'subject' to the 'surface.'
+++ Trade Ephemera: The advertisements for legacy equipment (Nikon) and regional galleries (Fraenkel, Vision, etc.) provide a data-rich environment for researchers of the 1980s art market.
+++ Regional History: Documents the 'Photo Metro' era of San Francisco, a period characterized by a unique fusion of academic rigor and street-level professional trade.


HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
Aaron Siskind’s importance as a bridge between the documentary tradition of the 'Photo League' and the formalist abstractions of the 'Institute of Design' cannot be overstated. By 1987, Siskind was an elder statesman of the medium. This issue of 'Photo Metro' captures that legacy in a 'real-time' format, presenting his work not as distant history but as an active influence on the photographers of the West Coast.

SUBJECTS: Aaron Siskind, Abstract Photography, Photo Metro Magazine, 1980s Photography, San Francisco Art Scene, Photographic Ephemera, Periodical, Photography Portfolio, Trade Ephemera.


Item #21752

Price: $85.00