Samantha Friend was born in Chicago and currently works in New York City.

 “I photograph from an insider’s perspective, yet am a public participant all the same. Before assuming ownership of either role of the host or guest, consider these isolated documentations, as they are meant to give us a second chance at involvement, deep appreciation and prospective critical thought.”

In the selected photographs, Friend documents human interaction with manicured nature: rose gardens, parks and atriums, these designated areas are equipped with walkways and fences that facilitate and direct movement within the kept spaces. While the subjects are interacting with their surrounding environments by simply visiting the parks, Friend complicates this interaction by photographing the photographer – the photographer and their subjects in Friend’s images contribute to a more complex and dynamic interaction exchanged between people, technology and nature.

“In many ways, people dedicate their lives to preserving the symbiotic relationship between human nature and the natural world, while others seek to simply enjoy or outwardly take from it. By granting even exposure to both ends of the polarizing spectrum, the visual dialogue then serves as a catalyst for critical discussion around our modern obsession with construction over conservation.”

In Friend’s photographs, while she highlights our ever changing relationship with nature and with technology, the lines between technology, nature and humans becomes increasingly blurry yet remain intrinsically intertwined.

For more of Friend’s work, check out her website: http://www.samanthafriend.com/