Untitled (portrait of little girl in flowered cape, standing on haystack and under parasol) c. 1955

This is an undated photographic print by Paul Gittings of a little girl with a parasol. It’s an inverted negative, so our view of the subject matter is altered right from the start. Looking at this image, I am struck by the contrast between the solid backdrop and the wispy forms in the foreground. The hay seems to float and swirl like liquid. Gittings captures a sense of play with light, reveling in a kind of ambiguity. My eye darts back and forth between the hay and the dark doll at the girl's feet, a melancholic reminder of mortality. The parasol has a sculptural presence; it feels alive, like a big flower, or a cloud. Artists like Clarence White come to mind, who were also playing with photography at this time. The making of pictures, then as now, is an ongoing conversation. The beauty of art is that it’s never really settled, it always leaves us with questions.