Photographer Scott Rossi moved from Vancouver, B.C. to New York in September of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the move, he found his footing in Central Park, both personally and creatively. He began taking photos there in January 2021, and the resulting series, “Common Place,” serves as a visual meditation on the iconic New York green space. 

“The project explores the original intentions set forth by the park’s chief architect, Frederick L. Olmsted, who wanted Central Park to be a democratic space that allows all New Yorkers to escape from the distractions of urban life in Manhattan,” explains Rossi. “Olmsted believed that, by recreating the peacefulness of nature, parks would soothe and restore the human spirit. Never have Olmsted’s intentions been more relevant than during a global pandemic. Whether using the landscape as a place to relax, to escape, or to love, this project translates these actions photographically. Common Place illustrates the importance of public parks and how during this difficult moment, New Yorkers found what they needed within Central Park.”

See more below!