Untitled (woman in patterned dress and gloves, holding hat, standing by vine on porch) c. 1940

This photograph of a woman in a patterned dress and gloves, holding a hat, standing by a vine on a porch, was made by Paul Gittings. In this image, the tonal inversions create an uncanny and dreamlike atmosphere, it’s like seeing an alternate reality. Check out the way the light catches the edges of the leaves, almost as if each one is individually illuminated. The negative space becomes positive, and vice versa, forcing us to rethink how we perceive form and shadow. It’s a great reminder that seeing is not just about what’s there, but also what isn’t, and how those absences shape our understanding. The image reminds me a little of Lisette Model, another photographer who played with light and shadow, but Gittings here finds a different kind of drama, one that’s both intimate and surreal. It shows how art, in any form, can be a journey of exploration, a conversation across time and space.