America’s shopping malls are disappearing at an alarming rate. The shopping mall used to be one of the quintessential American experiences. Due to shifting economic trends, malls are now going the way of the dinosaurs.
As America’s malls slowly and quietly make their exit, photographer Seph Lawless documents their decline. His latest book of photography, Black Friday (2014), focuses on America’s abandoned malls. The book is now available, and Lawless recently joined us for a chat.
Your latest book, Black Friday, explores the world of abandoned shopping malls in America. What was your inspiration for photographing these decaying malls?
Often times words aren’t enough, so I started taking pictures. I think the images affect people very deeply and has the propensity to change the way Americans think. We have accumulated the largest debt in the history of the entire world. I think Americans are tired of living with government waste, corporate, and personal debt. The images resonate so widely because they represent corporate greed and the ugly side of capitalism in America.
