Shadowlands of the Soul
Shadowlands of the Soul
February 2, 2021
Roger Ballen, Cat Catcher, 1998
© Roger Ballen
A comprehensive showcase of works by Roger Ballen is currently on display at the Francisco Carolinum in Linz, Austria, continuing until February 14, 2021. The retrospective features excerpts from all of the Leica photographer’s most important series and creative periods – spanning from his early work in the late 1960s (which was rooted in photojournalistic influences), to his multifaceted film oeuvre and current colour photographs of conceptual installations.
Social outcasts, animals and mysterious objects are at the centre of Ballen's eerily beautiful photographs. With his sinister yet mesmerising orchestrations, the artist delves deep into the abysses of the human psyche. Born in New York in 1950, Roger Ballen – who has been based in Johannesburg, South Africa, for more than 40 years – ranks among the most significant and influential photographers of our time. His work is as fascinating as it is disturbing, and occupies a unique place in contemporary photography that is positioned somewhere between documentary and surrealist fiction.
For further details visit Francisco Carolinum Linz and Roger Ballen
Roger Ballen, Cat Catcher, 1998
© Roger Ballen
Roger Ballen, Discussion, 2018
© Roger Ballen
Roger Ballen, Girl in white dress, 2002
© Roger Ballen
Roger Ballen, Head Inside Shirt, 2001
© Roger Ballen
Roger Ballen, Smoked Out, 2020
© Roger Ballen