Providence

While teaching at the Rhode Island School of Design, Harry Callahan often photographed the multi-family houses dotting the cityscape of Providence. Intimate in scale, this image yields the sense of a small world unto itself, with a surprising wealth of detail. By centering his camera on a pathway separating the dwellings, Callahan imbued the scene with a quiet emptiness that encourages careful contemplation and opens up new possibilities for pictorial structure. There is a tension between the flat facades and recession of the alleyway, while humble architectural elements assert themselves in the composition. The shape and line of porch columns, windows, door awnings, and chain link fencing all resonate with the edges of the photograph’s square format.