Since its conception, the mall has been considered an American national emblem, a symbol of wealth, organization, and the freedom to consume. In its most optimistic light, it is a symbol of liberal capitalist egalitarianism, a community center in which people of all socioeconomic backgrounds can gather to fulfill not only their shopping needs, but their recreational and social desires as well. It was, at its conception, a utopian vision of a self-sustaining downtown center for the booming postwar American society of the future. This is an ongoing series in which I explore the magic, myths and memories of the American mall through photography, writing, and amateur illustration. These dreamlike drawings were inspired by stories shared with me about the Golden Age of the American Mall, as well as my own fantasies.
