Untitled (portrait of three women, Dallas, Texas) c. 1940

This photograph, Untitled (portrait of three women, Dallas, Texas), was created by Paul Gittings. Note how Gittings uses the photographic negative to create a stark study of light and shadow. The inverted tonalities create an ethereal quality, emphasizing the geometric arrangement of faces and clothing. The contrast between the bright figures and the dark background flattens the image, drawing attention to the subjects’ expressions. Consider how the photograph plays with notions of representation and reality. By presenting a negative image, Gittings challenges our perception and invites us to question the relationship between photographic representation and lived experience. The inversion serves not only as a technical process but also as a conceptual tool, destabilizing conventional meanings and prompting a re-evaluation of portraiture itself. The interplay of light and dark functions as a symbolic language, inviting ongoing interpretation.