The Craetor’s Project | Beckett Mufson:
Expatriate American photographer Roger Ballen is known for exploring the dark recesses of South Africa, and the darker recesses of his own mind, in his work. Before 1997, he shot documentary-style images of the inequality he saw when he moved to Johannesburg, but he later began to incorporate himself into the images through heavy art direction and thoughtful symbolism, starting with his 2001 photo book Outland. His style is chaotic, rejoicing in grime and dirt, straying as far away from upper middle class normalcy as possible. In 2012, he directed South African Zef rap duo Die Antwoord’s “I Fink U Freeky,” video bringing his feral fascinations into the mainstream… Read more
Image: Roger Ballen, Take Off, 2012. Images courtesy the artist