Malls of America: Phillip Buehler and Karen Mainenti

October 8 - NOVEMBER 18, 2022 / FOOTNOTE PROJECT SPACE

Considered mere eyesores today, the first suburban shopping malls were examples of exemplary design: innovative civic architecture created to foster a sense of shared community. Against the background of the recent rezoning of the Gowanus neighborhood, this exhibition explores the optimism of urban planning against the eventual decline of these utopian dreams.

Awash in bubble gum hues, Karen Mainenti’s small-scale paintings isolate the architecture and signage of her native New Jersey stores and highways, uncovering the beauty hidden in the often-maligned suburban landscape. Contrasting this are Phillip Buehler’s monumental photographs of the now closed and demolished Wayne Hills Mall that capture the last stages of the life of this once-bustling mall, with empty corridors and dilapidated storefronts. 

Alongside these photographs and paintings are a selection of books and artifacts that shed further light on these monuments of American culture.