Roger Ballen

Roger Ballen's 2016 retrospective, published by Kehrer Verlag, serves as a comprehensive survey of the American-born, South African-based artist's decades-long career. Known for his stark black-and-white aesthetic, Ballen spent years documenting the marginalized residents of rural South Africa, eventually transitioning into the highly staged, psychological tableaux that define his 'Ballenesque' style. This volume encapsulates that evolution, highlighting his move from social documentary photography into surreal, unsettling art that probes the depths of the human psyche.

The book is notable for its deliberate sequencing, which threads together disparate images into a singular, jarring narrative. Ballen worked closely with the publisher to maintain the high-contrast aesthetic of his silver gelatin prints, ensuring the tactile, grimy quality of his installations and drawings was preserved in print. The collection was received by critics as an essential catalog of a unique visual language, solidifying his reputation as one of the most provocative contemporary photographers of the surreal.