Mick Hangland-Skill

Artist Statement

Despite its idyllic location along the Clackamas River, High Rocks is a hostile public space. Come summer, the waters recede, the crowds swell, and the eponymous high rocks seem to rise from the earth. The south bank is shoved against an interstate and down a steep, blackberry-lined hill. Basalt columns tower above the unforgiving current of the river, which claims several lives each year. People of all ages dare to dive into the chilly waters below and sun themselves dry on the shore. On the north bank, the ruins of a demolished trolley bridge display warnings of a swift undertow: Play at your own risk. Still, High Rocks remains among the most popular public spaces in Clackamas County. Dangerous, deadly, beautiful, fun: It checks all the boxes of a popular American public space.

Mick Hangland-Skill | Clackamas, OR

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