Untitled (photograph of Gittings photo: "Nude in Braids") c. 1970

Paul Gittings made this photograph of his photo "Nude in Braids", though we don't know when. I look at this image, and I think about the light hitting the paper just so, creating that soft, sepia-toned effect. It's like Gittings was chasing something elusive, trying to capture not just a likeness, but also a feeling. Was he thinking about classicism, like, Roman goddesses when he arranged this pose? Was the model thinking about her lunch? I find myself wondering about the conversations that happened in the studio, the energy between the photographer and the subject. That gesture of the arm! It evokes a sense of movement and vulnerability. This piece feels like it is from another time, but it also feels surprisingly modern. Like a conversation between different eras of photography.