Untitled (portrait of woman seated in flower hat holding bouquet) c. 1940

This photographic print of a woman in a flower hat holding a bouquet, was created by Paul Gittings, though we don't know exactly when. Looking at this inverted image, I find myself thinking about the physical act of photographing, all that work in the dark room, and the patience involved. You have to imagine the artist in their studio, mixing and moving, trying, failing, and trying again. I think about what Gittings was thinking when he took this portrait. How does the inversion of tones alter our perception and emotional response? How does the hat and bouquet transform the woman into a symbol of beauty, grace, and femininity? The artist's ideas, feelings, and perspectives come together to make art across time. Photography and painting invite us into a shared space of seeing and experiencing. Uncertainty is welcomed, and new interpretations are born.