slides: James Clayton Sattel’s RI Views: Cityscapes

Saturday, October 13, 2012

James Clayton Sattel, GoLocalProv Contributor

Photographer James Clayton Sattel is passionate about Rhode Island, particularly those shores, crags, and vistas of his home island: Aquidneck.

This week, Jim goes back to Providence for more urban views. From historic spires to modern neon, he says the shapes and colors of Providence are every bit as beautiful as the natural shapes of Aquidneck and rural Rhode Island.

To see more of or purchase Sattel's distinctive views, go here.

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Bridges

Cities are wonderful to shoot for so many reasons, and industrial layers of bridges is just one of them. Providence's latest bridge, the one that carries the new I195 over the river, is a splendid addition to the cityscape.

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Domes

Domes define an urban landscape, from Istanbul to Providence. Is it any surprise that photographers find themselves drawn to our State House, with its beautiful marble and graceful curves? And that western sky behind it doesn't hurt, either.

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Dense shapes

We all love to photograph the more classic lines of buildings that line Kennedy Plaza, but I love the massing that happens when you view this city from the Providence River. The weight of these buildings and their overlap is a truly urban view.

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Angles

While many cities' buildings are confined and squared off by a typical urban grid, here in Providence we enjoy a wonderful jumble of angles created both by rivers and old trading routes. The Citizens Bank buildling takes its angles all the way to its rooftop, adding more interest to the city's vistas.

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Faces

While the relocation of I195 has opened up remarkable new vistas in Providence's Fox Point and waterfront areas, it also resulted in the destruction of a memorable overpass. Under the thundering highway, some of the most memorable faces in Providence kept watch over drivers, cyclists, and walkers as they passed by.

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Art's landscape

Public art is one of a city's greatest treasures, adding focal points we might never appreciate as we move among the buildings. I love this sculpture along the Providence River for its utterly modern construction that somehow feels, when the sun shines through as it did in this moment, utterly ancient.

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Windows

The painter Edward Hopper had it right, examining the lives of men and women in the city through windows. As the outer light lowers and the interiors come to life, we gain small, intimate views of the lives and times all around us.

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Windows II

Downtown, windows beg for our attention, using everything possible to slow us down and lure us in. I love the riot of neon, fabric, and the daylight's reflection in this Providence storefront display.

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Columns

Since ancient times, cities have been marked by (and supported with) columns. In Providence along the riverfront, these creative columns bring both art and architecture to the cityscape. One wonders what future archeologists will make of our columns, and will they stand for millennia?

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Arches

Like columns, arches are as ancient as civilization. In a modern city, it's fascinating to look for these timeless shapes to announce themselves, as they do here in Providence's Waterplace Park, looking up to the Providence Place Mall.