Michael Galinsky: Malls Across America

by Michael Galinsky (Artist)

Throughout the 1980s, as America's downtown districts declined in importance and the "big-box" stores began their slow march across the country, malls became increasing central to American popular culture, dominating the social life of a large swath of the population. In 1989 Michael Galinsky, a twenty-year-old photographer, drove across the country recording this the spaces, textures and pace that defined this era. Starting in the winter of 1989 with the Smith Haven Mall in Garden City Long Island, Galinsky photographed malls from North Carolina to South Dakota, Washington State and beyond. The photos he took capture life in these malls as it began to shift from the shiny excess of the 1980s towards an era of slackers and grunge culture. Malls Across America is filled with seemingly lost or harried families navigating their way through these temples of consumerism, along with playful teens, misfits and the aged. There is a sense of claustrophobia to the images, even in those that hint at wide commercial a wall or a ceiling is always there to block the horizon. These photos never settle or focus on any one detail, creating the sense that they are stolen records of the most immediate kind.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2012

Reviews

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, if these photographs were only laid out more thoughtfully. So much is lost in the two-page spreads with the subject divided right down the center.

That being my chief (and only) complaint about this charming book, it's still absolutely worth a look.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy whoa, 1989.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I lived this. Made me oddly wistful.

[Hank Stuever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing particularly amazing or special about these photographs, except ... that ineffable miracle of time, how something that looks present-tense can't help but slip away and become part of the past. The Internet has made hay with slide shows of Michael Galinsky's photographs (the hair! The stores! The high-waisted pants! The hair!); many people sent me links to different sites that wrote about his work, knowing my affinity for malls and the 1980s (what we see here are the very late '80s here, early '90s). All in fun, but I'm glad I got the book for myself, because, in this context, the photos are sadder, more eerie, and still helplessly receding into the past.

[Blane · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject matter of this book is brilliant; the bottom line is very few people had the foresight to document such an iconic moment in American popular culture. By the late 1980s, shopping malls in America were at their absolute peak in power. The photos included here could have clearly demonstrated that power. Unfortunately (as other reviewers have pointed out), the photos are grainy and in some cases poorly composed/cropped (partially forgiven considering Galinsky was a junior photography student at the time). What is not forgivable is the book itself; nearly every photo is spread across two pages, which all but destroys the intent/charm of these pics (& contributes to the blurriness of the photos by blowing them up too big). I have come across several of these photos on the internet in their original more compact form, where the power of the content I mentioned above does comes through. I rate the book two stars only because (to the best of my knowledge), it is one of the only documents of this era in American popular culture out there.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a trip down memory lane. I had to check it out as many of the photos were taken at Smith Haven Mall (in Lake Grove, NOT Garden City as the description says), where I spent a lot of time growing up in the 90s.

The photos were taken a little before my time but I could definitely point out which were taken there, but not specifically where. Plus it was fun seeing all the interesting fashion choices of the late 80s.

The book could have been arranged better, or at least had a little more information about the malls. But I recommend having a look at this unique time capsule art book for anyone who wants to reminisce about the 80s and mall culture.

[Rich Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a photography major, so I came at this from a sociological perspective and from there it did not disappoint. I enjoyed flipping through checking out the fashion of the day of subjects in focus to the little details in the background. Although it isn't surprising that it was included, seeing Woodfield in the 1980s was interesting mainly because it wasn't that long ago that they redecorated. The McDonalds is still in the same spot photographed, and if they have changed their sign, I haven't noticed. To me, that image of Woodfield is what I remember it looking like as a kid.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of photos; it is I'm sure the only time I ever dropped $50 on a book of photos

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I saw Malls Across America sitting on the library shelf I couldn't resist, so I sat down and quickly went through it. I guess the point of this book is to show the monotony of America i.e. malls, which has gotten worse since these photographs were taken in the 1980s. I was aware of this book's existence from some website that named it as one of the best photography books of the last year, an assessment I disagree with as most of the photos were grainy and badly cropped. There is no introduction about the author or the photographs, some information is found at the end of the book. With no captions, the photos of the malls taken all over the country begin to look the same, which I guess is kind of the point. I actually recognized one from the Chicagoland area, only because it hasn't changed very much since 1989. A lot of 1980s pop culture is captured in the photos with television screens filled with images of Ferris Bueller, a person looking at a Patrick Swayze poster, a random store called Tape World and lots of bad 80s hair and clothes. It's an intriguing idea for a book, but unlike most photography books, it's not one I would ever look at again.

[Elaine Meszaros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had I been shown this photo collection at the time of its taking I would have scoffed, even though I'd barely have been in my teens. Compositionally, these are some pretty lousy photos - blurry, too dark and often oddly cropped. But the content is pure 80s mall gold. It's all there, baby. The huge, teased spiral perms, pinned jeans with socks over the top, white Nike high-tops, gobs of gold chains, cut-off neon tank tops and Guess? logos galore. There are all the hot stores, too - Sam Goody, Bally, Zales, Radio Shack. There's even a woman in business suit with huge shoulder pads smoking (smoking!) in the mall. Love 'em or hate 'em, anyone familiar with malls in their heyday will get a blast of memories from looking through this collection. Holy nostalgia, batman!

[Sandy Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is 80's mall-tastic! The hair - bangs & mullets! Acid wash! Socks over your pants! Windbreakers! For my family & friend in Michigan, one of the malls photographed was Eastland.

This is a series of photographs taken by the author/photographer when he was a college student in 1989. He took a road trip across the US to photograph people in malls.

[Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book taps into several different fascinations of mine, and I was so excited to get my hands on it. Overall, though, the construction seems fairly thoughtless and what should be really interesting ends up coming across as lifeless and dull. There are some great photographs here, but the presentation is disappointing.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing collection of photos. Although I was only a wee lad in the 80s, these pictures bring back all sorts of crazy memories. It was a simpler, less distracted time. Sure, people smoked everywhere and damn near everything was ugly. But I would love to have Golden Axe in my malls today.

[Stu Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating collection of photos taken at malls around the late 80's nationwide.......everything looked alike. It was only context clues of dress that gave a hint to where it was,,,,,,fascinating stTement on the sameness of our consumer culture

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great photography book for those interested in malls of the past. My only real gripe is that there is nothing on the pictures that tells you what mall and year the photo was taken.

[Melanie Linn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious step back in time, though I wish the book had been formatted so that the "gutter" didn't obstruct most of the images.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed on tumblr.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If only the binding was better! The binding ruined most of the shots - the shots were grainy and would have been better if they were smaller in the book - the concept is awesome though

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

These photographs weren't bad, the book design was abysmal. Who plots horizontal images to be exclusively showcased across folds? Maybe don't do that.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes me back. Arcades, hair, metal t-shirts, teen spirit.