Born in the US and based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Roger Ballen is one of the most important photographers of his generation. He has published over 25 books internationally and has collections in the most prominent museums in the world. His most recent publication is entitled Roger the Rat and was published by Hatje Cantz in 2020. In 2017, Thames and Hudson published his book Ballenesque, Roger Ballen – A Retrospective, a major survey of his collected works. Recently, Thames and Hudson released a second volume in paperback.
His oeuvre, which spans five decades, began with the documentary photography field but evolved into the creation of distinctive fictionalized realms that also integrate the mediums of film, installation, theatre, sculpture, painting and drawing. Ballen describes his works as “existential psychodramas” that touch the subconscious mind and evoke the underbelly of the human condition. They aim to break through the repressed thoughts and feelings by engaging him in themes of chaos and order, madness or unruly states of being, the human relationship to the animal world, life and death, universal archetypes of the psyche and experiences of otherness. Through his unique, complex visual language, and universal and profound themes, the artist has made a lasting contribution to the field of art.
The aim of the class is to enable participants to more effectively express their own psychological identities and better integrate the subjectivity that is involved in aesthetic photography. Better understand the aesthetics of Roger Ballen’s photography and his artistic practice as well as an understanding of the business of art photography and what it entails.
3 days in Marseille: 1650 €
More informations on www.eyesinprogress.com.
Cover by ©Roger Ballen
