Emoplux

Born in New York in 1950, living and working in South Africa for nearly 40 years, Roger Ballen is one of the world’s most remarkable, and critically acclaimed photographers of the 21st Century. Throughout his career, Roger Ballen has pursued a singular artistic goal : to give expression to the human psyche and visually explore the hidden forces that shape who we are.
For this years’ European Month Of Photography’, Valerius Gallery presents a range of Ballen’s works from renowned series, fittingly exploring the theme of identity.
As Roger Ballen notes:
“ My purpose in taking photographs over the past forty years has ultimately been about defining myself. It has been fundamentally a psychological and existential journey.
I often question whether the face I see in the mirror is mine, and where my thoughts come from. ‘Reality’ is a word that has no meaning to me; it is unfathomable. I would rather express the enigma behind this word than ponder its fundamental nature.
The compositions are very formal. They are simple; they are clear. But inside there is a theatre, a complexity that reflects the human condition in some way.