Untitled (potrait of bride on patio in front of wooded area, man fixing train) 1954

This photograph of a bride in front of a wooded area by Paul Gittings is like a sketch in monochrome, built from light and shadow. It's about the process of seeing, not just recording. The cool grey tonality pulls you in, creating a sense of distance, like looking at a memory. I love the texture in the trees, how they almost vibrate against the flat column. The artist isn't hiding the process, instead, this feeling emphasizes the physicality of the medium, the darks are so dense they almost seem to have a weight to them, anchoring the ethereal bride to the physical space. Think of someone like Diane Arbus, who also used photography to explore the margins of society. Gittings uses this inversion, this negative space, to question our assumptions. It's like he's saying, "What does it mean to be seen, to be remembered?" It's all up for grabs.