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{{short description|American photographer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2017}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name =
| name =
|image = Seph Lawless 2014.jpg
| image =
|birth_date =
| birth_date =
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| nationality = American
|residence = Cleveland, Ohio
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| occupation = Photographer
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|nationality = American
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| years_active = 2005{{ndash}}present<ref name="Slawless">{{cite web|title=About|url=http://sephlawless.com/my-story/|website=SephLawless.com|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref>
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|occupation = [[Photographer]]
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| website = {{Official website}}
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|years_active = 2005{{ndash}}present<ref name="Slawless">{{cite web|title=About|url=http://sephlawless.com/my-story/|website=SephLawless.com|accessdate=28 November 2017}}</ref>
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|website = {{Official website}}
}}
}}


'''Seph Lawless''' is the pseudonym of an American [[photographer]] who has documented [[urban decay]] and abandoned spaces in the United States.<ref name="esandy">{{cite news|last1=Sandy|first1=Eric|title=The Art of the Autopsy: Photographer Seph Lawless Spends his Days Documenting Decaying Ruins|url=https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/the-art-of-the-autopsy-photographer-seph-lawless-spends-his-days-documenting-decaying-ruins/Content?oid=3625444|accessdate=November 28, 2017|work=[[Cleveland Scene]]|date=August 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://6abc.com/hobbies/hauntingly-beautiful-abandoned-houses/1058329/ |title=Photographer captures 'Hauntingly Beautiful' abandoned homes |work=[[WPVI-TV|6ABC]] |date=October 30, 2015|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref>
'''Seph Lawless''' is an American photographer who has documented [[urban decay]] and abandoned spaces in the United States.<ref name="esandy">{{cite news|last1=Sandy|first1=Eric|title=The Art of the Autopsy: Photographer Seph Lawless Spends his Days Documenting Decaying Ruins|url=https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/the-art-of-the-autopsy-photographer-seph-lawless-spends-his-days-documenting-decaying-ruins/Content?oid=3625444|accessdate=November 28, 2017|work=[[Cleveland Scene]]|date=August 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://6abc.com/hobbies/hauntingly-beautiful-abandoned-houses/1058329/ |title=Photographer captures 'Hauntingly Beautiful' abandoned homes |work=[[WPVI-TV|6ABC]] |date=October 30, 2015|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref>


== Early life ==
== Early life ==


Lawless grew up in a suburb of [[Cleveland, Ohio]].<ref name="duberti">{{cite news|last=Uberti|first=David|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jun/19/-sp-death-of-the-american-shopping-mall|title=The death of the American mall|work=[[The Guardian]]|date= June 19, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Petkovic|first1=John|title=Cleveland photographer Seph Lawless chronicles left-for-dead America|url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/10/cleveland_photographer_seph_la.html|accessdate=1 December 2017|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=October 7, 2017}}</ref> He has stated that his father was a longtime worker at [[Ford Motor Company]].<ref name="mnewton">{{cite web|last1=Newton|first1=Matthew|title=Taking Pictures Of The Dead Shopping Malls Of Our Youth: Images From Suburban America|url=https://thoughtcatalog.com/matthew-newton/2014/06/photographing-the-dead-shopping-malls-of-our-youth-images-from-suburban-america/|accessdate=November 28, 2017|website=[[Thought Catalog]]|date=June 9, 2014}}</ref><ref name="svalera020714">{{cite web|last1=Valera|first1=Stephanie|title=Ruins of the Rust Belt: Haunting Photos of Abandoned Buildings by Seph Lawless|url=https://weather.com/travel/news/ruins-rust-belt-abandoned-buildings-photos-seph-lawless-20140206|website=[[The Weather Channel]]|accessdate=November 28, 2017|date=June 9, 2014}}</ref><ref name="gvansusteren">{{cite news|last1=Van Susteren|first1=Greta|authorlink1=Greta Van Susteren|title=From bustling center of prosperity to ghost town|url=http://video.foxnews.com/v/3531984184001/?#sp=show-clips|accessdate=November 28, 2017|work=[[Fox News]]|date=May 2, 2014}}</ref>
Lawless grew up in a suburb of [[Cleveland]], Ohio.<ref name="duberti">{{cite news|last=Uberti|first=David|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/jun/19/-sp-death-of-the-american-shopping-mall|title=The death of the American mall|work=[[The Guardian]]|date= June 19, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Petkovic|first1=John|title=Cleveland photographer Seph Lawless chronicles left-for-dead America|url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/10/cleveland_photographer_seph_la.html|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=October 7, 2017}}</ref> He has stated that his father was a longtime worker at [[Ford Motor Company]].<ref name="mnewton">{{cite web|last1=Newton|first1=Matthew|title=Taking Pictures Of The Dead Shopping Malls Of Our Youth: Images From Suburban America|url=https://thoughtcatalog.com/matthew-newton/2014/06/photographing-the-dead-shopping-malls-of-our-youth-images-from-suburban-america/|accessdate=November 28, 2017|website=[[Thought Catalog]]|date=June 9, 2014}}</ref><ref name="svalera020714">{{cite web|last1=Valera|first1=Stephanie|title=Ruins of the Rust Belt: Haunting Photos of Abandoned Buildings by Seph Lawless|url=https://weather.com/travel/news/ruins-rust-belt-abandoned-buildings-photos-seph-lawless-20140206|website=[[The Weather Channel]]|accessdate=November 28, 2017|date=June 9, 2014}}</ref><ref name="gvansusteren">{{cite news|last1=Van Susteren|first1=Greta|authorlink1=Greta Van Susteren|title=From bustling center of prosperity to ghost town|url=http://video.foxnews.com/v/3531984184001/?#sp=show-clips|accessdate=November 28, 2017|publisher=[[Fox News Channel]]|date=May 2, 2014}}</ref>


== Photography ==
== Photography ==
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In 2012 and 2013, Lawless photographed abandoned industrial infrastructure and other aspects of [[deindustrialization|industrial decline]] in the [[Rust Belt]] and elsewhere in the United States for his [[Self-publishing|self-published]] 2014 book, ''Autopsy of America: The Journal Entries of Seph Lawless''.<ref name="esandy"/><ref name="svalera020714"/>
In 2012 and 2013, Lawless photographed abandoned industrial infrastructure and other aspects of [[deindustrialization|industrial decline]] in the [[Rust Belt]] and elsewhere in the United States for his [[Self-publishing|self-published]] 2014 book, ''Autopsy of America: The Journal Entries of Seph Lawless''.<ref name="esandy"/><ref name="svalera020714"/>


A second book, ''Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall'', contains photos from 2013 and 2014 documenting abandoned and boarded-up [[shopping mall]]s.<ref name="gvansusteren"/><ref name="duberti"/><ref>{{cite news|first=Jordan G. |last=Teicher|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/06/22/seph_lawless_photographs_abandoned_malls_in_his_book_black_friday.html|title=A Haunting Look Inside Some of America's Abandoned Shopping Malls|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date= June 22, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref> He photographed abandoned malls in Michigan and Ohio,<ref name="asmith">{{cite news|first=Aaron|last=Smith|url=http://money.cnn.com/2014/06/30/news/economy/dead-malls/index.html|title=Autopsy of America: Photos of dead shopping malls|work=[[CNNMoney]]|date=June 30, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref> including 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 said to be the world's largest shopping center at the time of its opening in the 1970s, and which closed in 2009.<ref name="svalera051414">{{cite web|first=Stephanie|last=Valera|url=http://www.weather.com/travel/abandoned-malls-seph-lawless-photos-20140408|title=Black Friday: Ghostly Images of Abandoned Malls by Seph Lawless|website=[[The Weather Channel]]|date=May 14, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Adele|last=Peters|url=http://www.fastcoexist.com/3029341/eerie-photos-of-abandoned-shopping-malls-show-the-changing-face-of-suburbia|title=Eerie Photos Of Abandoned Shopping Malls Show The Changing Face Of Suburbia|work=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]|date=April 21, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref name=walsh>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Walsh|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/creepy-photos-abandoned-shopping-malls-highlight-reveal-hard-times-article-1.1773948 |title=Creepy photos of abandoned shopping malls highlight crumbling communities of the Rust Belt|work=[[New York Daily News]]|date=April 30, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref> His photos of abandoned malls were subsequently published via several websites and media outlets.<ref name="gvansusteren"/><ref name="asmith"/><ref name=walsh/> In 2014, Lawless also released ''13: An American Horror Story'', with photos from "haunted" buildings in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|first=Frank|last= Chung|url=http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/thirteen-real-life-haunted-houses-and-the-horror-stories-that-go-with-them/story-fncq3era-1227108106100|title=Thirteen real life haunted houses and the horror stories that go with them|work=[[News.com.au]]|date=October 31, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref name=spookiest>{{cite news|first=Jordan G.|last=Teicher|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/10/31/seph_lawless_photographs_american_haunted_houses_in_his_book_13_an_american.html|title=These Are America’s Spookiest Homes|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=October 31, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref>
A second book, ''Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall'', contains photos from 2013 and 2014 documenting abandoned and boarded-up shopping malls.<ref name="gvansusteren"/><ref name="duberti"/><ref>{{cite news|first=Jordan G. |last=Teicher|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/06/22/seph_lawless_photographs_abandoned_malls_in_his_book_black_friday.html|title=A Haunting Look Inside Some of America's Abandoned Shopping Malls|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date= June 22, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref> He photographed abandoned malls in Michigan and Ohio,<ref name="asmith">{{cite news|first=Aaron|last=Smith|url=https://money.cnn.com/2014/06/30/news/economy/dead-malls/index.html|title=Autopsy of America: Photos of dead shopping malls|work=[[CNNMoney]]|date=June 30, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref> including 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 said to be the world's largest shopping center at the time of its opening in the 1970s, and which closed in 2009.<ref name="svalera051414">{{cite web|first=Stephanie|last=Valera|url=http://www.weather.com/travel/abandoned-malls-seph-lawless-photos-20140408|title=Black Friday: Ghostly Images of Abandoned Malls by Seph Lawless|website=[[The Weather Channel]]|date=May 14, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Adele|last=Peters|url=http://www.fastcoexist.com/3029341/eerie-photos-of-abandoned-shopping-malls-show-the-changing-face-of-suburbia|title=Eerie Photos Of Abandoned Shopping Malls Show The Changing Face Of Suburbia|work=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]|date=April 21, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref name=walsh>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Walsh|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/creepy-photos-abandoned-shopping-malls-highlight-reveal-hard-times-article-1.1773948 |title=Creepy photos of abandoned shopping malls highlight crumbling communities of the Rust Belt|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York|date=April 30, 2014|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref>


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In March 2016, his photographs of [[Disney's River Country]], an abandoned section of [[Disney World]], were published in various media outlets, and he claimed to have been banned from entering Disney World after photographing and sharing his images to the press.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/35863563/the-dead-water-parks-at-the-heart-of-disney-world-florida|work= [[Newsbeat|BBC Newsbeat]]|title= The dead water parks at the heart of Disney World Florida|date=March 22, 2016|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Morona|first1=Joey|title=Seph Lawless: Q&A with photographer behind those viral images of abandoned places|url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/05/seph_lawless_abandoned_building.html|accessdate=December 13, 2016|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=May 11, 2016}}</ref> In March 2016 Lawless also took photos in [[Picher, Oklahoma]], a toxic abandoned town which the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] had mandated to be evacuated in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/03/photos-of-americas-most-toxic-city-are-an-ominous-warning/|title=Photos Of America's Most Toxic City Are An Ominous Warning|website= [[Gizmodo]]|date= March 5, 2016|accessdate= March 10, 2017|first=Alissa |last=Walker}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Jesse |last=Ferreras|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/03/picher-oklahoma-most-toxic-seph-lawless_n_9379500.html|title= Picher, Oklahoma Is America's 'Most Toxic City.' Seph Lawless' Photos Show Us Why.|work= [[HuffPost]]|date= March 3, 2016|accessdate= March 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aol.com/article/news/2016/10/01/a-look-inside-americas-most-toxic-city/21484170/|title=A look inside America's most toxic city|website= [[AOL]]|date= October 1, 2016|accessdate= March 10, 2017|first=Sam|last=Koukoulas}}</ref>
In 2015, ''[[The Guardian]]'' commissioned Lawless to take photos documenting the aftermath of [[Hurricane Katrina]], for the 10th anniversary of the hurricane.<ref>{{cite news|title=A tour of abandoned New Orleans, 10 years after Katrina - in pictures|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2015/jul/30/abandoned-new-orleans-hurricane-katrina-in-pictures|accessdate=November 28, 2017|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=July 30, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Cott|first1=Allix|title=10 Abandoned Theme Parks That Are Hauntingly Beautiful|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/10-abandoned-theme-parks-that-are-hauntingly-beautiful/all|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=[[Architectural Digest]]|date=August 2, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Zhang|first1=Michael|title=Photos of New Orleans Ruins on the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina|url=https://petapixel.com/2015/08/28/photos-of-new-orleans-ruins-on-the-10th-anniversary-of-hurricane-katrina/|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=PetaPixel|date=August 28, 2015}}</ref> In 2015 he also released another book, ''Bizarro: The World's Most Hauntingly Beautiful Abandoned Theme Parks'', featuring photographs from 10 abandoned theme parks in the US and Germany.<ref>{{Cite news|first= Jordan G.|last=Teicher|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2015/07/04/seph_lawless_photographs_abandoned_theme_parks_in_his_book_bizarro_photos.html|title=You Won’t Be Visiting These Abandoned Amusement Parks This July Fourth|date=July 4, 2015|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|accessdate=July 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/gallery/smallbusiness/2015/06/25/abandoned-amusement-parks/|title=Scenes from abandoned amusement parks|last=Smith|first=Aaron|work=[[CNNMoney]]|date=June 25, 2015|accessdate=July 12, 2016}}</ref><ref name="ABC Amusement">{{cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/photos/abandoned-amusement-parks-seph-lawless-31840347/image-31841293|title=Abandoned Amusement Parks From Seph Lawless|work=[[ABC News]]|date=2015|accessdate=July 29, 2016}}</ref>


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In 2017, he photographed houses in the Beachwood neighborhood of [[High River]], Alberta, Canada that had been abandoned due to a floodplain relocation program after the [[2013 Alberta floods#High River|2013 Alberta floods]].<ref name=banned>{{cite news|last1=Ferreras|first1=Jesse|title=How an Alberta neighbourhood of $1M homes became the ‘creepiest in the world’|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3448924/beachwood-estates-seph-lawless/|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=[[Global News]]|date=May 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Post-apocalypse photographer captures abandoned High River homes|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/seph-lawless-high-river-photograph-creepiest-neighbourhood-1.4121316|accessdate=December 1, 2017|publisher=[[CBC News]]|date=May 18, 2017}}</ref> Lawless's ''Huffington Post'' article and photographs were criticized in local media by the High River mayor, who said, "When you do things like this and you enter homes, you stage it with teddy bears, you move lamp posts around and you do all of these things to try and sensationalize stuff, it hurts people."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nicodemus|first1=Kelci|title=Beachwood trespassing falls into loophole |url=http://www.highrivertimes.com/2017/05/31/beachwood-trespassing-falls-into-loophole|accessdate=December 19, 2017|work=High River Times|date=June 1, 2017}}</ref>
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In March 2016, his photographs of [[Disney's River Country]], an abandoned section of [[Disney World]], were published in various media outlets, and he claimed to have been banned from entering Disney World after photographing and sharing his images to the press.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/35863563/the-dead-water-parks-at-the-heart-of-disney-world-florida|work= [[Newsbeat|BBC Newsbeat]]|title= The dead water parks at the heart of Disney World Florida|date=March 22, 2016|accessdate=November 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Morona|first1=Joey|title=Seph Lawless: Q&A with photographer behind those viral images of abandoned places|url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/05/seph_lawless_abandoned_building.html|accessdate=December 13, 2016|work=[[Cleveland.com]]|date=May 11, 2016}}</ref> In March 2016 Lawless also took photos in [[Picher, Oklahoma]], a toxic abandoned town which the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] had mandated to be evacuated in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/03/photos-of-americas-most-toxic-city-are-an-ominous-warning/|title=Photos Of America's Most Toxic City Are An Ominous Warning|website= [[Gizmodo]]|date= March 5, 2016|accessdate= March 10, 2017|first=Alissa |last=Walker}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Jesse |last=Ferreras|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/03/picher-oklahoma-most-toxic-seph-lawless_n_9379500.html|title= Picher, Oklahoma Is America's 'Most Toxic City.' Seph Lawless' Photos Show Us Why.|work= [[Huffington Post]]|date= March 3, 2016|accessdate= March 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aol.com/article/news/2016/10/01/a-look-inside-americas-most-toxic-city/21484170/|title=A look inside America's most toxic city|website= [[AOL]]|date= October 1, 2016|accessdate= March 10, 2017|first=Sam|last=Koukoulas}}</ref>

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In 2017, he photographed houses in the Beachwood neighborhood of [[High River]], Alberta, Canada that had been abandoned due to a floodplain relocation program after the [[2013 Alberta floods#High River|2013 Alberta floods]].<ref name=banned>{{cite news|last1=Ferreras|first1=Jesse|title=How an Alberta neighbourhood of $1M homes became the ‘creepiest in the world’|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3448924/beachwood-estates-seph-lawless/|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=[[Global News]]|date=May 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Post-apocalypse photographer captures abandoned High River homes|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/seph-lawless-high-river-photograph-creepiest-neighbourhood-1.4121316|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=[[CBC News]]|date=May 18, 2017}}</ref> Lawless's ''Huffington Post'' article and photographs were criticized in local media by the High River mayor, who said, "When you do things like this and you enter homes, you stage it with teddy bears, you move lamp posts around and you do all of these things to try and sensationalize stuff, it hurts people."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nicodemus|first1=Kelci|title=Beachwood trespassing falls into loophole |url=http://www.highrivertimes.com/2017/05/31/beachwood-trespassing-falls-into-loophole|accessdate=December 19, 2017|work=High River Times|date=June 1, 2017}}</ref>


===Themes===
===Themes===
As an [[urban exploration|urban explorer]] photographer,<ref name="esandy" /> Lawless has recorded abandoned shopping malls and other developments, with the stated intention of informing people of the depth and failures of capitalism, consumption, globalization, and national economic policies.<ref name=stones>{{cite journal|last1=Stones|first1=Samantha|title=The value of heritage: urban exploration and the historic environment|journal=The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice|date=2016|volume=7|issue=4|pages=301–320|doi=10.1080/17567505.2016.1252490|quote=Similarly, North American explorers access and record vast abandoned shopping complexes to inform people of the depth and failures of capitalism and consumption. This work is exemplified by Seph Lawless’ photographic documentation of abandoned shopping malls. He explained in a newspaper article that he 'wanted Americans to see what was happening to their country from the comfort of their suburban homes and smartphones ... I knew if I portrayed these images creatively enough, they would have a very deep impact on the viewer'.}}</ref><ref name=pacstan/><ref>{{cite news|last1=Killalea|first1=Debra|title=Donald Trump's America: Abandoned shopping mall photos tell a story|url=http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/donald-trumps-america-abandoned-shopping-mall-photos-tell-a-story/news-story/379ea2b7780ffffbe805c2e4b7418825|accessdate=November 28, 2017|work=[[News.com.au]]|date=November 20, 2016}}</ref> In 2014 he stated that he wanted to show Americans "what was happening to their country from the comfort of their suburban homes and smartphones."<ref name=stones/><ref name="shoraczek">{{cite web|last1=Horaczek|first1=Stan|title=Interview: Seph Lawless' 'Black Friday'|url=https://www.americanphotomag.com/interview-seph-lawless-black-friday|website=American Photo|accessdate=November 28, 2017|date=April 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Cade|first1=DL|title=Black Friday: Haunting Documentary Photo Series Captures Abandoned Malls in the US|url=https://petapixel.com/2014/04/28/black-friday-haunting-documentary-photo-series-captures-abandoned-malls-us/|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=PetaPixel|date=April 28, 2014}}</ref> A large proportion of the abandoned malls, buildings, and amusement parks he photographs are in the Rust Belt, which has been heavily effected the various business and economic changes in recent decades.<ref name="svalera020714"/><ref name=walsh/><ref name=pacstan>{{cite news|title=Can Post-Apocalyptic Art Be a Force for Social Change?|url=https://psmag.com/news/can-post-apocalyptic-art-be-a-force-for-social-change|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=[[Pacific Standard]]|date=December 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Aaron|title=Ghostly images of a dead mall tell an American story|url=http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/16/news/dead-mall-photos-seph-lawless/index.html|accessdate=November 28, 2017|work=[[CNNMoney]]|date=November 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Malik|first1=Renaud|title=L'artiste Seph Lawless immortalise les centres commerciaux désaffectés|url=https://www.rts.ch/info/culture/arts-visuels/8625416-l-artiste-seph-lawless-immortalise-les-centres-commerciaux-desaffectes.html|accessdate=28 November 2017|work=[[Radio Télévision Suisse|RTS]]|date=May 17, 2017|language=French}}</ref>
As an [[urban exploration|urban explorer]] photographer,<ref name="esandy" /> Lawless has recorded abandoned shopping malls and other developments, with the stated intention of informing people of the depth and failures of capitalism, consumption, globalization, and national economic policies.<ref name=stones>{{cite journal|last1=Stones|first1=Samantha|title=The value of heritage: urban exploration and the historic environment|journal=The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice|year=2016|volume=7|issue=4|pages=301–320|doi=10.1080/17567505.2016.1252490|quote=Similarly, North American explorers access and record vast abandoned shopping complexes to inform people of the depth and failures of capitalism and consumption. This work is exemplified by Seph Lawless’ photographic documentation of abandoned shopping malls. He explained in a newspaper article that he 'wanted Americans to see what was happening to their country from the comfort of their suburban homes and smartphones ... I knew if I portrayed these images creatively enough, they would have a very deep impact on the viewer'.}}</ref><ref name=pacstan/><ref>{{cite news|last1=Killalea|first1=Debra|title=Donald Trump's America: Abandoned shopping mall photos tell a story|url=http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/donald-trumps-america-abandoned-shopping-mall-photos-tell-a-story/news-story/379ea2b7780ffffbe805c2e4b7418825|accessdate=November 28, 2017|work=[[News.com.au]]|date=November 20, 2016}}</ref> In 2014 he stated that he wanted to show Americans "what was happening to their country from the comfort of their suburban homes and smartphones."<ref name=stones/><ref name="shoraczek">{{cite web|last1=Horaczek|first1=Stan|title=Interview: Seph Lawless' 'Black Friday'|url=https://www.americanphotomag.com/interview-seph-lawless-black-friday|website=American Photo|accessdate=November 28, 2017|date=April 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Cade|first1=DL|title=Black Friday: Haunting Documentary Photo Series Captures Abandoned Malls in the US|url=https://petapixel.com/2014/04/28/black-friday-haunting-documentary-photo-series-captures-abandoned-malls-us/|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=PetaPixel|date=April 28, 2014}}</ref> A large proportion of the abandoned malls, buildings, and amusement parks he photographs are in the Rust Belt, which has been heavily effected the various business and economic changes in recent decades.<ref name="svalera020714"/><ref name=walsh/><ref name=pacstan>{{cite news|title=Can Post-Apocalyptic Art Be a Force for Social Change?|url=https://psmag.com/news/can-post-apocalyptic-art-be-a-force-for-social-change|accessdate=December 1, 2017|work=[[Pacific Standard]]|date=December 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Aaron|title=Ghostly images of a dead mall tell an American story|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/11/16/news/dead-mall-photos-seph-lawless/index.html|accessdate=November 28, 2017|work=[[CNNMoney]]|date=November 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Malik|first1=Renaud|title=L'artiste Seph Lawless immortalise les centres commerciaux désaffectés|url=https://www.rts.ch/info/culture/arts-visuels/8625416-l-artiste-seph-lawless-immortalise-les-centres-commerciaux-desaffectes.html|accessdate=November 28, 2017|work=[[Radio Télévision Suisse|RTS]]|date=May 17, 2017|language=French}}</ref>


== Publications ==
== Publications ==
*''Autopsy of America: The Journal Entries of Seph Lawless.'' Artivist Press (self-published), 2014. {{ISBN|9780615875781}}.
*''Autopsy of America: The Journal Entries of Seph Lawless.'' Self-published, 2014. {{ISBN|9780615875781}}.
*''Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall.'' Self-published, 2014. {{OCLC|889105593}}.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10|title=Photographer Captures Four Seasons of an Abandoned Mall (Photos)|url=https://weather.com/travel/news/seph-lawless-four-seasons|website=The Weather Channel}}</ref>
*''Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall.'' Self-published, 2014. {{OCLC|889105593}}.
*''13: An American Horror Story.'' Self-published, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10|title=13 Spooky-Looking Houses That Have Inspired Ghost Stories|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/seph-lawless_n_6063654|date=29 October 2014|website=HuffPost}}</ref>
*''13: An American Horror Story.'' Self-published, 2014.
*''The Last Lap: North Wilkesboro Speedway Is Losing a Race Against Time.'' Self-published, 2015.
*''The Last Lap: North Wilkesboro Speedway Is Losing a Race Against Time.'' Self-published, 2015.
*''The Trolley Tragedy of 1957.'' Self-published, 2015.
*''The Trolley Tragedy of 1957.'' Self-published, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Jon|last1=Livesey|accessdate=2019-05-10|title=This 'haunted train wreck' site could become a set for The Walking Dead|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/waking-dead-could-filmed-haunted-6052093|date=12 July 2015|website=mirror}}</ref>
*''The Variety Theater: The Night Motörhead Brought Down the House.'' Self-published, 2015.
*''The Variety Theater: The Night Motörhead Brought Down the House.'' Self-published, 2015.
*''Hauntingly Beautiful (13th Series).'' Self-published, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2019-05-10|title=Photographing America's creepiest houses|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/entertainment-arts-34679788/photographing-america-s-creepiest-houses|website=BBC News}}</ref>
*''Hauntingly Beautiful (13th Series).'' Self-published, 2015.
*''Pet Cemetery...In Loving Memory.'' USA: Self-published, 2015.
*''Pet Cemetery...In Loving Memory.'' USA: Self-published, 2015.
*''Bizarro: The World's Most Hauntingly Beautiful Abandoned Theme Parks.'' Self-published, 2015.<ref name="ABC Amusement"/>
*''Bizarro: The World's Most Hauntingly Beautiful Abandoned Theme Parks.'' Self-published, 2015.
*''The Prelude: The Deadliest City in America.'' Self-published, 2016.
*''The Prelude: The Deadliest City in America.'' Self-published, 2016.
*''Black Friday: Seasons in the Size of Days.'' Self-published, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Diana|last1=Shi|accessdate=2019-05-10|title=Here's what a dead mall looks like in every season|url=https://mashable.com/2015/10/02/abandoned-mall-seph-lawless/|website=Mashable}}</ref>
*''Black Friday: Seasons in the Size of Days.'' Self-published, 2016.
*''Autopsy of America: Death of a Nation.'' UK: Carpet Bombing Culture, 2017. {{ISBN|9781908211491}}.
*''Autopsy of America: Death of a Nation.'' UK: Carpet Bombing Culture, 2017. {{ISBN|9781908211491}}.
*''Abandoned: Hauntingly Beautiful Deserted Theme Parks.'' New York City: [[Skyhorse Publishing|Skyhorse]], 2017. {{ISBN|9781510723351}}.
*''Abandoned: Hauntingly Beautiful Deserted Theme Parks.'' New York City: [[Skyhorse Publishing|Skyhorse]], 2017. {{ISBN|9781510723351}}.
Line 50: Line 48:
== Exhibitions ==
== Exhibitions ==


*''The Autopsy of America,'' foyer, [[Amerika Haus]], Munich, Germany, 2014<ref>"[http://new.amerikahaus.de/ausstellungen/detail/the-autopsy-of-america/ The Autopsy of America: Photography by Seph Lawless]", [[Amerika Haus]]. Accessed 2 December 2017</ref>
*''The Autopsy of America,'' foyer, [[Amerika Haus]], Munich, Germany, 2014<ref>"[http://new.amerikahaus.de/ausstellungen/detail/the-autopsy-of-america/ The Autopsy of America: Photography by Seph Lawless]", [[Amerika Haus]]. Retrieved December 2, 2017</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 57: Line 55:


== References ==
== References ==

{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


== External links ==
== External links ==

* {{Official website}}
* {{Official website}}


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[[Category:American photojournalists]]
[[Category:American photojournalists]]
[[Category:Urban exploration]]
[[Category:Urban exploration]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

Revision as of 23:40, 11 July 2021

Seph Lawless
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPhotographer
Years active2005–present[1]
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Seph Lawless is an American photographer who has documented urban decay and abandoned spaces in the United States.[2][3]

Early life

Lawless grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio.[4][5] He has stated that his father was a longtime worker at Ford Motor Company.[6][7][8]

Fotografie

In 2012 and 2013, Lawless photographed abandoned industrial infrastructure and other aspects of industrial decline in the Rust Belt and elsewhere in the United States for his self-published 2014 book, Autopsy of America: The Journal Entries of Seph Lawless.[2][7]

A second book, Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall, contains photos from 2013 and 2014 documenting abandoned and boarded-up shopping malls.[8][4][9] He photographed abandoned malls in Michigan and Ohio,[10] including 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 said to be the world's largest shopping center at the time of its opening in the 1970s, and which closed in 2009.[11][12][13]

In March 2016, his photographs of Disney's River Country, an abandoned section of Disney World, were published in various media outlets, and he claimed to have been banned from entering Disney World after photographing and sharing his images to the press.[14][15] In March 2016 Lawless also took photos in Picher, Oklahoma, a toxic abandoned town which the Environmental Protection Agency had mandated to be evacuated in 2006.[16][17][18]

In 2017, he photographed houses in the Beachwood neighborhood of High River, Alberta, Canada that had been abandoned due to a floodplain relocation program after the 2013 Alberta floods.[19][20] Lawless's Huffington Post article and photographs were criticized in local media by the High River mayor, who said, "When you do things like this and you enter homes, you stage it with teddy bears, you move lamp posts around and you do all of these things to try and sensationalize stuff, it hurts people."[21]

Themes

As an urban explorer photographer,[2] Lawless has recorded abandoned shopping malls and other developments, with the stated intention of informing people of the depth and failures of capitalism, consumption, globalization, and national economic policies.[22][23][24] In 2014 he stated that he wanted to show Americans "what was happening to their country from the comfort of their suburban homes and smartphones."[22][25][26] A large proportion of the abandoned malls, buildings, and amusement parks he photographs are in the Rust Belt, which has been heavily effected the various business and economic changes in recent decades.[7][13][23][27][28]

Publications

  • Autopsy of America: The Journal Entries of Seph Lawless. Self-published, 2014. ISBN 9780615875781.
  • Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall. Self-published, 2014. OCLC 889105593.
  • 13: An American Horror Story. Self-published, 2014.
  • The Last Lap: North Wilkesboro Speedway Is Losing a Race Against Time. Self-published, 2015.
  • The Trolley Tragedy of 1957. Self-published, 2015.
  • The Variety Theater: The Night Motörhead Brought Down the House. Self-published, 2015.
  • Hauntingly Beautiful (13th Series). Self-published, 2015.
  • Pet Cemetery...In Loving Memory. USA: Self-published, 2015.
  • Bizarro: The World's Most Hauntingly Beautiful Abandoned Theme Parks. Self-published, 2015.
  • The Prelude: The Deadliest City in America. Self-published, 2016.
  • Black Friday: Seasons in the Size of Days. Self-published, 2016.
  • Autopsy of America: Death of a Nation. UK: Carpet Bombing Culture, 2017. ISBN 9781908211491.
  • Abandoned: Hauntingly Beautiful Deserted Theme Parks. New York City: Skyhorse, 2017. ISBN 9781510723351.

Exhibitions

See also

References

  1. ^ "About". SephLawless.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Sandy, Eric (August 7, 2013). "The Art of the Autopsy: Photographer Seph Lawless Spends his Days Documenting Decaying Ruins". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  3. ^ "Photographer captures 'Hauntingly Beautiful' abandoned homes". 6ABC. October 30, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Uberti, David (June 19, 2014). "The death of the American mall". The Guardian. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  5. ^ Petkovic, John (October 7, 2017). "Cleveland photographer Seph Lawless chronicles left-for-dead America". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  6. ^ Newton, Matthew (June 9, 2014). "Taking Pictures Of The Dead Shopping Malls Of Our Youth: Images From Suburban America". Thought Catalog. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c Valera, Stephanie (June 9, 2014). "Ruins of the Rust Belt: Haunting Photos of Abandoned Buildings by Seph Lawless". The Weather Channel. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  8. ^ a b Van Susteren, Greta (May 2, 2014). "From bustling center of prosperity to ghost town". Fox News Channel. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  9. ^ Teicher, Jordan G. (June 22, 2014). "A Haunting Look Inside Some of America's Abandoned Shopping Malls". Slate. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  10. ^ Smith, Aaron (June 30, 2014). "Autopsy of America: Photos of dead shopping malls". CNNMoney. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  11. ^ Valera, Stephanie (May 14, 2014). "Black Friday: Ghostly Images of Abandoned Malls by Seph Lawless". The Weather Channel. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  12. ^ Peters, Adele (April 21, 2014). "Eerie Photos Of Abandoned Shopping Malls Show The Changing Face Of Suburbia". Fast Company. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  13. ^ a b Walsh, Michael (April 30, 2014). "Creepy photos of abandoned shopping malls highlight crumbling communities of the Rust Belt". Daily News. New York. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  14. ^ "The dead water parks at the heart of Disney World Florida". BBC Newsbeat. March 22, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  15. ^ Morona, Joey (May 11, 2016). "Seph Lawless: Q&A with photographer behind those viral images of abandoned places". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  16. ^ Walker, Alissa (March 5, 2016). "Photos Of America's Most Toxic City Are An Ominous Warning". Gizmodo. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  17. ^ Ferreras, Jesse (March 3, 2016). "Picher, Oklahoma Is America's 'Most Toxic City.' Seph Lawless' Photos Show Us Why". HuffPost. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  18. ^ Koukoulas, Sam (October 1, 2016). "A look inside America's most toxic city". AOL. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  19. ^ Ferreras, Jesse (May 16, 2017). "How an Alberta neighbourhood of $1M homes became the 'creepiest in the world'". Global News. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  20. ^ "Post-apocalypse photographer captures abandoned High River homes". CBC News. May 18, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  21. ^ Nicodemus, Kelci (June 1, 2017). "Beachwood trespassing falls into loophole". High River Times. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  22. ^ a b Stones, Samantha (2016). "The value of heritage: urban exploration and the historic environment". The Historic Environment: Policy & Practice. 7 (4): 301–320. doi:10.1080/17567505.2016.1252490. Similarly, North American explorers access and record vast abandoned shopping complexes to inform people of the depth and failures of capitalism and consumption. This work is exemplified by Seph Lawless' photographic documentation of abandoned shopping malls. He explained in a newspaper article that he 'wanted Americans to see what was happening to their country from the comfort of their suburban homes and smartphones ... I knew if I portrayed these images creatively enough, they would have a very deep impact on the viewer'.
  23. ^ a b "Can Post-Apocalyptic Art Be a Force for Social Change?". Pacific Standard. December 16, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  24. ^ Killalea, Debra (November 20, 2016). "Donald Trump's America: Abandoned shopping mall photos tell a story". News.com.au. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  25. ^ Horaczek, Stan (April 29, 2014). "Interview: Seph Lawless' 'Black Friday'". American Photo. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  26. ^ Cade, DL (April 28, 2014). "Black Friday: Haunting Documentary Photo Series Captures Abandoned Malls in the US". PetaPixel. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  27. ^ Smith, Aaron (November 16, 2016). "Ghostly images of a dead mall tell an American story". CNNMoney. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  28. ^ Malik, Renaud (May 17, 2017). "L'artiste Seph Lawless immortalise les centres commerciaux désaffectés". RTS (in French). Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  29. ^ "The Autopsy of America: Photography by Seph Lawless", Amerika Haus. Retrieved December 2, 2017
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