Keri Friedman

“Coaster for the Trees”

ARTIST STATEMENT

Our constantly changing landscape typically conjures up images of man-made structures encroaching upon nature. Nature, however, can be surprisingly resilient. This amusement park closed in 1978. Twenty-seven years later, trees are already towering over this roller coaster, Ferris wheel and several other structures. 100 years from now, anything organic will most likely be gone, leaving bits and pieces of metal and other man-made substances that might not even resemble the amusement park rides they once were. The skeletons of these small town amusement parks stand homage to part of our cultural past. Only a handful of these parks, most of which opened in the early 1900s, still operate today.

ARTIST BIO

Keri Friedman is a photographer based in Portland, Oregon. By day she works for Lensbabies, and by nights and weekends she pursues her own photography projects. She is particularly obsessed with abandoned places and those facing imminent destruction. More of her work can be seen at www.kerifriedman.com.

Selected by Carol McCusker, Curator of Photography at the Harn Museum of Art.