Untitled (girl with hand on cheek, feather in hat) c. 1940

Paul Gittings' small-scale photographic negative, "Untitled (girl with hand on cheek, feather in hat)," captivates with its stark contrast and carefully arranged composition. The subject, a young girl, is centrally positioned, her form emerging from the dark backdrop in luminous detail. The composition is structured by the girl's pose, her hand gently supporting her cheek, which creates a diagonal line that bisects the frame. Consider how Gittings uses light and shadow to sculpt the girl's features, emphasizing her gaze and the delicate texture of her hat. The inversion of tones inherent in the negative format heightens the photograph's abstract qualities. This artistic choice destabilizes conventional portraiture by transforming familiar visual cues into something less literal and more structurally intriguing. The photograph challenges our perception of form and representation, asking us to look beyond the surface and engage with the underlying mechanics of seeing.