Hot City

Chambers put together this project based on his coverage of Providence, Rhode Island as Personal Photographer to Mayor Joseph R. Paolino, Jr. and City Photographer during 1985-1990. At the time, it offered an interesting aspect to historical, visual documentation. Usually, this type of display shows past generations involved in various activities, and the viewer can only attempt to relate to what is perceived as having happened during that particular era. Since "Hot City" involved contemporaries, the viewer may have had personal recall of an activity, may have known and related with an individual in the coverage and in fact, may very well have been a part of the documentation process. The project received a Proclamation from Mayor Joseph R. Paolino, Jr.


HC-1 (Newspaper reproduction)

HC-3 (Newspaper reproduction)

HC-2 (Newspaper reproduction)

HC-4 (Newspaper reproduction)

News coverage: "Portfolio", Sunday Journal Magazine, The Providence Journal-Bulletin (June 25, 1989), Providence, Rhode Island: "Tom Chambers is a documentary photographer who works as an official photographer for the City of Providence. Although his job requires that he photograph officials at public events, he often also focuses on the ordinary people who appear at these gatherings and elsewhere in Providence. In the photographs on these pages, we see moments that wouldn't come across in a 60-second TV news story: a boy waiting for a parade to start; a little boy holding his father's hand; a little boy wearing a police helmet and standing in a crowd of people at a parade; and a girl riding and waving to a crowd. These images are selected from among the 400 prints now appearing in an exhibit of Chambers' work at Hospital Trust National Bank. Entitled 'Hot City', the exhibit continues through August."

Exhibitions

"Providence In Austin" (solo show), G.F. Gallery, Austin, Texas, U.S.A., February 20 - March 12, 1992.

       

"Hot City" (solo show), Corridor Gallery, Rhode Island Hospital Trust National Bank, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A. (grant - Rhode Island Hospital Trust National Bank; accepted as a part of the City of Providence Archives; received a Mayor's Proclamation; listed in American Photo magazine, Notable Exhibitions section, July, 1989 issue), June 16 - August 31, 1989.

Part of the installation at Rhode Island Hospital Trust National Bank:

   

Tom R. Chambers is seen receiving the Proclamation for "Hot City" from Joseph R. Paolino, Jr., Mayor of the City of Providence:

Exhibiton announcement: