| Revision as of 19:51, 7 July 2014 editFreeRangeFrog (talk | contribs)34,528 edits Reverted 2 edits by 50.122.153.97 (talk): That is not how that works. You must provide a source, or leave the information out. (TW)← Previous edit | Revision as of 20:07, 7 July 2014 edit undo150.216.197.24 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit → | ||
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| In 2014, Lawless's photos of abandoned malls were featured in segments on ]<ref name="weather041014"> The Weather Channel, April 10, 2014.</ref> and ],<ref name="asmith"/> and he was also interviewed about the photos by ] on ].<ref name="gvansusteren"/> Lawless has stated that he plans to do a photography project in ], focusing on the country's artists;<ref name="svalera020714"/> to document the US ] region;<ref name="shoraczek"/> and to chronicle the lives of Death Row inmates in Ohio.<ref name="dlcade">DL Cade, Peta Pixel, April 28, 2014.</ref> Lawless works with charities such as Educate Not Incarcerate and ].<ref name="imaryann"/> He has set up small kiosks at operating malls in Ohio to sell prints of his photos of decaying and abandoned malls, with the proceeds going to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.<ref name="svalera051414"/><ref name="weather041014"/><ref name="mnewton"/> | In 2014, Lawless's photos of abandoned malls were featured in segments on ]<ref name="weather041014"> The Weather Channel, April 10, 2014.</ref> and ],<ref name="asmith"/> and he was also interviewed about the photos by ] on ].<ref name="gvansusteren"/> Lawless has stated that he plans to do a photography project in ], focusing on the country's artists;<ref name="svalera020714"/> to document the US ] region;<ref name="shoraczek"/> and to chronicle the lives of Death Row inmates in Ohio.<ref name="dlcade">DL Cade, Peta Pixel, April 28, 2014.</ref> Lawless works with charities such as Educate Not Incarcerate and ].<ref name="imaryann"/> He has set up small kiosks at operating malls in Ohio to sell prints of his photos of decaying and abandoned malls, with the proceeds going to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.<ref name="svalera051414"/><ref name="weather041014"/><ref name="mnewton"/> | ||
| Lawless's third project, ''Outcastes Among Outlaws'', which began in June 2014, features collaborations with other current and former Midwestern explorers, including Bill Finan, and an expansion from his native Cleveland, to Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Memphis and other cities along the Mississippi. Publication of this book/3-DVD set is expected to occur in February 2015.{{Citation needed|reason=upcoming work - source may not exist yet|date=July 2014}} | |||
| ==Style== | ==Style== | ||
| Lawless uses ], Facebook and other social media sites to publicize his work.<ref name="esandy"/> His tactics have been described as "reminiscent of a graffiti artist, with his pseudonym and sneak-around style."<ref name="shoraczek"/> Lawless has stated that he has been arrested more than 50 times for his attempts to get into various spaces.<ref name="imaryann"/><ref name="dlcade"/> He uses a ] camera, and does not crop his photos, preferring to use his ] like in analog photography.<ref name="dlcade"/> | Lawless uses ], Facebook and other social media sites to publicize his work.<ref name="esandy"/> His tactics have been described as "reminiscent of a graffiti artist, with his pseudonym and sneak-around style."<ref name="shoraczek"/> Lawless has stated that he has been arrested more than 50 times for his attempts to get into various spaces.<ref name="imaryann"/><ref name="dlcade"/> He uses a ] camera, and does not crop his photos, preferring to use his ] like in analog photography.<ref name="dlcade"/> | ||
| ==Controversy== | |||
| Though media portrayals of Lawless portray him as a popular celebrity in his field, several investigators have disagreed with this assessment. | |||
| When looking at search logs dating from January 2013 to June 2014 only 100 searches had been made for "Seph Lawless" at the time. This is a confusing number because the number of "Likes" on his Facebook artist page is over 175,000 with nearly no user interaction. | |||
| Furthermore, Lawless has gained his Facebook audience originating in nearly all non-natively speaking english areas <ref>https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/10389664_259089840950671_2244174852982381958_n.jpg</ref>, specifically Turkey and | |||
| Pakistan. <ref>https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/10338546_591541124293174_1542841306088399422_o.jpg</ref> <ref>https://www.facebook.com/seph.lawless/likes</ref> | |||
| ==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||
Revision as of 20:07, 7 July 2014
| Seph Lawless | |
|---|---|
| File:Seph Lawless 2014.jpg | |
| Born | 1978 Cleveland, OH |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Photojournalist |
| Years active | 2001-present |
| Website | sephlawless.com |
Seph Lawless (1978) is a pseudonymous American photojournalist, best known for his photos of urban decay and abandoned spaces across the United States.
Early life
Lawless was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and briefly raised in Detroit, Michigan, before returning to Cleveland, where he now resides. His father was a longtime worker at Ford Motor Company; through him, Lawless witnessed the collapse of the once-thriving American auto industry.
Career
Lawless began photographing urban decay around 2001. In 2012 and 2013, he traveled across the United States photographing man-made desolation, forgotten landscapes and other symbols of industrial decline, mostly in the Rust Belt. Photographing abandoned factories, churches, theaters, buildings, hospitals, houses, schools and hotels, he wound up with approximately 3,000 images and 17 hours of video footage, culminating in his first book, Autopsy of America, published in 2014.
Stemming from Autopsy of America, Lawless's follow-up, Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall, with photos from late-2013 through April 2014, documents the demise of old symbols of American commercialism, honing in on abandoned, decaying and boarded-up shopping malls. He photographed malls in Michigan and Ohio, primarily the abandoned Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, built in 1975 and closed in 2008, and the Randall Park Mall in North Randall, Ohio, which was the world's largest shopping center at the time of its opening in the 1970s; it closed in 2009. Rolling Acres Mall is set to be demolished in 2014, and Lawless's photos of Randall Park Mall were the last taken of the mall before its demolition. The photos have been called "ghostly and eerie." According to Green Street Advisors, approximately 15% of US malls will fail by 2030. Only two new malls have been built in the US since 2006. By documenting broken parts of the country in Black Friday, Lawless intended to show the world a vulnerable side of America, and to generate awareness about poor and disenfranchised Americans.
In 2014, Lawless's photos of abandoned malls were featured in segments on The Weather Channel and CNNMoney, and he was also interviewed about the photos by Greta Van Susteren on Fox News. Lawless has stated that he plans to do a photography project in Pakistan, focusing on the country's artists; to document the US Bible Belt region; and to chronicle the lives of Death Row inmates in Ohio. Lawless works with charities such as Educate Not Incarcerate and Feed the Children. He has set up small kiosks at operating malls in Ohio to sell prints of his photos of decaying and abandoned malls, with the proceeds going to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.
Lawless's third project, Outcastes Among Outlaws, which began in June 2014, features collaborations with other current and former Midwestern explorers, including Bill Finan, and an expansion from his native Cleveland, to Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Memphis and other cities along the Mississippi. Publication of this book/3-DVD set is expected to occur in February 2015.
Style
Lawless uses Instagram, Facebook and other social media sites to publicize his work. His tactics have been described as "reminiscent of a graffiti artist, with his pseudonym and sneak-around style." Lawless has stated that he has been arrested more than 50 times for his attempts to get into various spaces. He uses a Nikon D90 camera, and does not crop his photos, preferring to use his DSLR like in analog photography.
Controversy
Though media portrayals of Lawless portray him as a popular celebrity in his field, several investigators have disagreed with this assessment.
When looking at search logs dating from January 2013 to June 2014 only 100 searches had been made for "Seph Lawless" at the time. This is a confusing number because the number of "Likes" on his Facebook artist page is over 175,000 with nearly no user interaction.
Furthermore, Lawless has gained his Facebook audience originating in nearly all non-natively speaking english areas , specifically Turkey and Pakistan.
Bibliography
- Autopsy of America: The Journal Entries of Seph Lawless (Artivist Publishing, 2014)
- Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall (Artivist Publishing, 2014)
References
- ^ Eric Sandy, “The Art of the Autopsy: Photographer Seph Lawless Spends his Days Documenting Decaying Ruins,” Cleveland Scene, August 7, 2013.
- ^ iMaryAnn, “Urban explorer Seph Lawless give tips for anyone crazy enough to follow his footsteps,” CNN, March 7, 2014.
- ^ David Uberti, “The death of the American mall,” The Guardian, June 19, 2014.
- ^ Matthew Newton, "Taking Pictures Of The Dead Shopping Malls Of Our Youth: Images From Suburban America," Thought Catalog, June 9, 2014.
- ^ Stephanie Valera, “Ruins of the Rust Belt: Haunting Photos of Abandoned Buildings by Seph Lawless,” Weather.com, February 7, 2014.
- ^ Interview with Greta Van Susteren, “From bustling center of prosperity to ghost town,” Fox News, May 2, 2014.
- ^ Stan Horaczek, “Interview: Seph Lawless’ ‘Black Friday’,” American Photo, April 29, 2014.
- Jordan G. Teicher, "A Haunting Look Inside Some of America's Abandoned Shopping Malls," Slate, June 22, 2014.
- ^ Aaron Smith, "Autopsy of America: Photos of dead shopping malls," CNNMoney, June 30, 2014.
- ^ Stephanie Valera, “Black Friday: Ghostly Images of Abandoned Malls by Seph Lawless,” Weather.com, May 14, 2014.
- "Eerie Look Inside America's Abandoned Malls," ABC News. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
- Adele Peters, “Eerie Photos Of Abandoned Shopping Malls Show The Changing Face Of Suburbia,” Fast Company, April 21, 2014.
- Kaitlyn Schaeffer, “Eerie Photos of Dilapidated Shopping Malls Symbolize America’s Tough Economic Times,” Complex, April 26, 2014.
- Michael Walsh, “Creepy photos of abandoned shopping malls highlight crumbling communities of the Rust Belt,” New York Daily News, April 30, 2014.
- "Autopsy of Cleveland: Look at what’s been left behind," Fox 8 Cleveland, June 9, 2014.
- ^ “Left to Die: No One Will Enter Again,” The Weather Channel, April 10, 2014.
- ^ DL Cade, “Black Friday: Haunting Documentary Photo Series Captures Abandoned Malls in the US,” Peta Pixel, April 28, 2014.
- https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/10389664_259089840950671_2244174852982381958_n.jpg
- https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/10338546_591541124293174_1542841306088399422_o.jpg
- https://www.facebook.com/seph.lawless/likes
