Vacant, decaying spaces are something of an obsession to photographers, who have cast their lenses on everything from abandoned theaters and churches to empty asylums and Lithuanian discos. Shopping malls join this crowd thanks to the work of Dan Wampler, who photographed the interiors of St. Louis’ Crestwood Court mall after it closed in July after more than 56 years in business. Wampler, who calls himself a digital artist rather than a photographer, used HDR to create “a look ranging from 3D to surreal,” he writes on the project page, accentuating a corridor’s angular architecture or a stairway’s sherbet-hued tilework. While “the management company has maintained the mall quite well,” he explains, his images “may be the last opportunity anyone will have to see the inside for some time.” Meaning, of course, that this mall, unlike an abandoned mall in Providence, won’t be turned into a series of micro homes.
Photos by Dan Wampler
· All Abandonment Issues posts [Curbed National] · This Abandoned Mall Is Perfect for Your Zombie Back to School Shopping [Gizmodo] · Dan Wampler [official site]