Relics 2015: Jazzland

Six Flags New Orleans, or Jazzland, has proven fertile ground for photographers since its closure in 2005.

Security on the premises remains lax, thanks to a rare bit of understanding between law enforcement and urban explorers. “We had recently read an article where the police had talked about how they weren’t going to arrest anyone for trespassing on the territory,” said Allison Cooper.

Cooper and her Canon Powershot A590 joined three friends for a day at the park in June 2011, “before the movie companies were moving in.”

Jazzland wore its six-year hibernation with graffiti and crunching, broken glass. Misplaced stuffed animals lay bug-eyed on the ground. “It was a beautiful day,” recalled Cooper, “but it was eerie. Sad. You could still see the waterline where it flooded [during Hurricane Katrina].”

Cooper found herself on a set of stairs that ascends alongside a splintery wooden rollercoaster. Curious, she started to climb. I’ll just keep going till it seems unsafe.

“I dared myself to the top,” laughed Cooper. “It was terrifying.” With one arm outstretched over the rickety peak, she angled the camera to the center of the coaster’s tracks and clicked.

The Natchitoches native has used location shoots to grow more acclimated to the southeastern side of the state. She tends toward landscapes or macro images of bees and flowers; humans aren’t often in the frame. “I like to look at abandoned spaces,” said Cooper. “How they would have been filled before, packed with people. How they look now.”

Find more of Allison Cooper’s work at allisoncooperphotography.wordpress.com. Learn more about Relics: 2015 Photo Project here and submit your images to our yearlong cultural mosaic.