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| ==Career== | ==Career== | ||
| Lawless began photographing urban decay around 2001.<ref name="imaryann"/> 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 ]. 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.<ref name="esandy"/><ref name="svalera020714"/><ref name="shoraczek">Stan Horaczek, ''American Photo'', April 29, 2014.</ref> | Lawless began photographing urban decay around 2001.<ref name="imaryann"/> In 2012 and 2013, he traveled across the United States photographing man-made desolation, forgotten landscapes and other symbols of ], mostly in the ]. 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.<ref name="esandy"/><ref name="svalera020714"/><ref name="shoraczek">Stan Horaczek, ''American Photo'', April 29, 2014.</ref> | ||
| Stemming from ''Autopsy of America'',<ref name="shoraczek"/> Lawless's follow-up, ''Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall'', with photos from late-2013 through April 2014,<ref name="gvansusteren"/> documents the demise of old symbols of American commercialism, honing in on abandoned, decaying and boarded-up shopping malls.<ref name="duberti"/><ref>Jordan G. Teicher, '']'', June 22, 2014.</ref> He photographed malls in Michigan and Ohio,<ref name="asmith">Aaron Smith, ], June 30, 2014.</ref> primarily the abandoned ] in ], built in 1975 and closed in 2008, and the ] in ], which was the world's largest shopping center at the time of its opening in the 1970s; it closed in 2009.<ref name="svalera051414">Stephanie Valera, Weather.com, May 14, 2014.</ref> Rolling Acres Mall is set to be demolished in 2014,<ref> ABC News. Retrieved June 28, 2014.</ref> and Lawless's photos of Randall Park Mall were the last taken of the mall before its demolition.<ref>Adele Peters, '']'', April 21, 2014.</ref><ref>Kaitlyn Schaeffer, '']'', April 26, 2014.</ref> The photos have been called "ghostly and eerie."<ref name="svalera051414"/> According to Green Street Advisors, approximately 15% of US malls will fail by 2030.<ref name="asmith"/> Only two new malls have been built in the US since 2006.<ref name="asmith"/> 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.<ref name="gvansusteren"/><ref>Michael Walsh, '']'', April 30, 2014.</ref><ref> ], June 9, 2014.</ref> | Stemming from ''Autopsy of America'',<ref name="shoraczek"/> Lawless's follow-up, ''Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall'', with photos from late-2013 through April 2014,<ref name="gvansusteren"/> documents the demise of old symbols of American commercialism, honing in on abandoned, decaying and boarded-up shopping malls.<ref name="duberti"/><ref>Jordan G. Teicher, '']'', June 22, 2014.</ref> He photographed malls in Michigan and Ohio,<ref name="asmith">Aaron Smith, ], June 30, 2014.</ref> primarily the abandoned ] in ], built in 1975 and closed in 2008, and the ] in ], which was the world's largest shopping center at the time of its opening in the 1970s; it closed in 2009.<ref name="svalera051414">Stephanie Valera, Weather.com, May 14, 2014.</ref> Rolling Acres Mall is set to be demolished in 2014,<ref> ABC News. Retrieved June 28, 2014.</ref> and Lawless's photos of Randall Park Mall were the last taken of the mall before its demolition.<ref>Adele Peters, '']'', April 21, 2014.</ref><ref>Kaitlyn Schaeffer, '']'', April 26, 2014.</ref> The photos have been called "ghostly and eerie."<ref name="svalera051414"/> According to Green Street Advisors, approximately 15% of US malls will fail by 2030.<ref name="asmith"/> Only two new malls have been built in the US since 2006.<ref name="asmith"/> 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.<ref name="gvansusteren"/><ref>Michael Walsh, '']'', April 30, 2014.</ref><ref> ], June 9, 2014.</ref> | ||
Revision as of 16:01, 11 July 2014
| Seph Lawless | |
|---|---|
| File:Seph Lawless 2014.jpg | |
| Born | 1978 Cleveland, Ohio |
| 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.
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 in the style of analog photography.
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.