One of the most influential and important photographic artists of the
21st century, Roger Ballen's photographs span over forty years. His
strange and extreme works confront the viewer and challenge them to
come with him on a journey into their own minds as he explores the
deeper recesses of his own. Roger Ballen was born in New York in 1950
but for over 30 years he has lived and worked in South Africa. His
work as a geologist took him out into the countryside and led him to
take up his camera and explore the hidden world of small South African
towns. At first he explored the empty streets in the glare of the
midday sun but, once he had made the step of knocking on people's
doors, he discovered a world inside these houses which was to have a
profound effect on his work. These interiors with their distinctive
collections of objects and the occupants within these closed worlds
took his unique vision on a path from social critique to the creation
of metaphors for the inner mind. After 1994 he no longer looked to the
countryside for his subject matter finding it closer to home in
Johannesburg. Visit Website
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27/04/2020 Last update