Untitled (two girls in matching outfits on sofa, one girl standing next to sofa) after 1940

This black and white photograph by Paul Gittings captures three girls in what appears to be a domestic interior. The image is striking for its formal arrangement and stark contrast, immediately evoking a sense of a constructed reality. Two girls sit on a dark sofa, while a younger girl stands beside them, creating a triangular composition that stabilizes the scene. All three are dressed in matching outfits, but the subtle variations in their poses hint at individuality within the uniformity. The background, with its window blinds and patterned rug, creates a geometric framework, reinforcing the image's constructed nature. Gittings plays with semiotics here. The matching outfits, the formal setting, and the careful composition all signal codes of social presentation and identity. The image doesn't just capture a moment, but it seems to perform one, destabilizing the idea of a natural or spontaneous portrayal. The use of black and white flattens the image, emphasizing form over detail. This elevates the artwork beyond simple representation, inviting us to decode the image's visual language and reflect on the constructed nature of identity.