Provocative photographer Roger Ballen delves into the abyss of the psyche
- Text by Sam Warner
- Photography by Roger Ballen
Roger Ballen’s work provokes a sense of immediate unease; ghoulish faces, deathly birds interspersed with smiling babies and haggard naked people in run down rooms, all in grainy black-and-white. In his latest book The House Project, the photographer takes the idea of living space as a metaphor for the human mind – in a collaboration with writer Didi Bozzini.
American-born Ballen has worked in South Africa for over 40 years and has been photographing the people on the edges of society in a way that tries to delve both under the subject’s and the viewer’s psyche. He has also worked with South African rap duo Die Antwoord, shaping much of their image, and has garnered both acclaim and derision in South Africa.
The House Project continues in that vein, aiming to create an almost Kafka-esque feel by blurring the lines between the real and imaginary, with each floor representing a different state of mind.
With the publication of The House Project, Huck talked to Ballen about it and what he is trying to express.
What are the origins of this project?
Didi and myself agreed in 2014 that it would be interesting to publish a book modelling the mind after a multi-level house. Following this, Didi wrote a text delineating the house into four floors, which created the basis for me to choose the images for the book.
How long have you been working with Didi Bozzini? How did you two come together?
Didi wrote a text for a show I had in 2013 at the Massimo Minini Gallery in Brescia, Italy. I was so impressed by his writing that I asked him to write the introduction to my Thames and Hudson publication Asylum of the Birds.
Why does the idea of the house as the mind interest you?
The house in the book contains many floors or levels that reflect different places of the mind. The basement in the house reflects primitive consciousness, the attic dreams. Nevertheless, it is important to realise that the mind is fundamentally impossible to comprehend in any objective way. This project is a best attempt to comprehend something beyond words.
What sort of subjects and houses were you looking for initially?
Most of the photographs in the book are unpublished images of mine. I tried to find photographs of mine for each floor that were characterised by a consistent aesthetic.
How do you blur the lines between objective reality and the imaginary in your photography?
I do not use verbal logic to create my photographs. My photographs are visual statements that transcend verbal logic. I have often stated that my best photographs are the ones for which there are no words for.
Do you aim to tap into the viewer’s subconscious with your work?
It is my hope that my photographs will lodge themselves in the viewers’ subconscious minds and transform their consciousness in a positive way. In my opinion, this is one of the key purposes of art.
The Kafka quote, “We photograph things in order to drive them out of our minds”, is written in the introduction of the book. Is that a mantra that you live by in your work?
The purpose of my work has always been existential. With each strong photograph that I produce I come a bit closer to understanding who Roger Ballen is.
The House Project by Roger Ballen & Didi Bozzini is out November, published by Oodee.
Latest on Huck
Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski and Andrea Arnold on ‘Bird’
The new issue of Little White Lies brings Andrea Arnold’s sixth feature to life with a thematic voyage down the Thames estuary.
Written by: Maisy Hunter
“A party is a microcosm of a nation”: Caleb Femi on the decline of the house party
To celebrate the publication of his new collection ‘The Wickedest’, Isaac Muk caught up with Femi to talk more about the work, the future of the shoobs, and discuss why having it large on a Saturday night should be cherished.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Celebrating 20 years of The Mighty Boosh
A new exhibition takes a look behind the scenes of the iconic show two decades after its BBC3 premiere.
Written by: Isaac Muk
We Run Mountains: Black Trail Runners tackle Infinite Trails
Soaking up the altitude and adrenaline at Europe’s flagship trail running event, high in the Austrian Alps, with three rising British runners of colour.
Written by: Phil Young
The organisation levelling the playing field in the music industry
Founded in 2022, The Name Game is committed to helping female, non-binary and trans people navigate the industry.
Written by: Djené Kaba
Vibrant, rebellious portraits of young Cubans
A new photobook captures the young people redefining Cuban identity amidst increased economic and political turbulence on the Caribbean island.
Written by: Isaac Muk