Untitled (two photographs: older man in tux and flowered cap leaning back in chair; young couple seen through window of airplane) after 1940

This is an untitled photographic composition by Paul Gittings, presenting a striking contrast between youth and age, confinement and freedom. The dominant motif here is the kiss, a gesture laden with cultural significance. We see young couples embracing, their faces pressed together in intimate moments. Consider the act of kissing. This symbol recurs across millennia, from ancient fertility rites to the courtly love of the Renaissance. The kiss, a signifier of affection, lust, or even betrayal, is deeply embedded in our collective memory. The elderly man, reclined and observing, embodies reflection and reminiscence, an older figure who is the only still point in this composition of traveling passengers. Here, the window acts as a frame, encapsulating and displaying love in transit. What does it mean to see such a personal moment made public? The image stirs a powerful, almost voyeuristic emotion, engaging us on a subconscious level. The motif of the kiss transcends time, continuously resurfacing and evolving, each era imbuing it with fresh layers of meaning, in this non-linear and cyclical progression of symbols.