Untitled (woman in dotted blouse holding baby) c. 1955

This haunting photograph by Paul Gittings shows a woman in a polka dot blouse holding a baby. It is as if the image has come into being through a slow and careful layering, revealing itself through trial, error, and deep intuition. I sympathize with Gittings as he worked in the darkroom with the film and the chemicals. What was he thinking? What did he want this image to say? The surface has been built up over time through a patient, physical process. The image has a ghostly quality, like a memory or a dream. The patterned surface makes me think of leaves, vines, or webs that enshroud the subjects. It looks as though the patterns are both in front of and behind the figures, creating a kind of flattening effect. Painters and photographers are always in conversation across time, exchanging ideas and inspiring new kinds of creativity. Painting is an embodied form of expression that embraces ambiguity. This ghostly image invites endless interpretations.