Aimee McCrory’s award-winning series Roller Coaster: Scenes from a Marriage centers on the artist’s own marriage of over four decades, exploring the joys and challenges of growing old together. Through candid and intimate moments, the series presents the dynamics of marriage while approaching the theme of aging with subtle humor and dignity. The project began during the pandemic when McCrory felt immense fear of losing her husband, Don. From this inner anxiety emerged a visual narrative that captures the fragility and beauty of a life spent together.

As McCrory explained that, drawing on her theatrical background, she created the series in a “pseudo-documentary style.” Although the images depict staged scenes, they still feel lifelike. The series focuses on the small yet significant moments of everyday life. McCrory transforms reality in such a way that allows viewers to easily relate to the images and reflect on the dynamics of their own relationships.

The series also touches on the subject of aging, which is often overlooked or considered taboo in Western culture. McCrory draws attention to the beauty and challenges of old age, as well as the idea that aging does not necessarily equate to feelings of insignificance or abandonment. The 16 photographs on display in the PaperLab Gallery radiate both intimacy and universality, encouraging viewers to confront their own emotions and experiences.

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Scenes from a Marriage is a cinematic exploration of the complexities and challenges that arise in long-term relationships. “It began during the height of the pandemic. I was overwhelmed with the fear of losing my husband, Don. In response, I decided to use photography as a way to express my emotions and cope with the uncertainty of the times. What started as a single experiment soon evolved into a much larger project that aimed to capture the ordinary and extraordinary moments of our 43-year marriage. At first, Don was hesitant to participate, but I had a feeling I could entice him to participate. I began to pay close attention to our surroundings, our day-to-day activities, and how we interacted with each other. Dry, sarcastic, humorous moments emerged—as did mysterious, thriller-like scenarios. Through storyboards, staging, lighting, and wardrobe, I was able to carefully plan each photograph, drawing on my background in theater. The process of creating these photographs was emotionally and physically complex, but it ultimately brought us closer together as a couple. We laughed, cried, fought, and loved through the entire experience. As we take a deep breath and share our body of work with the world, we’re both aware of a sense of loss. But we’re also grateful for the opportunity to create something meaningful and profound together. Overall, our project has been an extraordinary ride that has allowed us to grow as individuals and as a couple.” (Aimee McCrory)

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