The works of the American photographer Robert Ballen can be attributed to an extraordinary direction - documentary surrealism. His photo is a statement of the absurdity of many phenomena in life. Ballen's photographs are terrifying and stunning, but incredibly interesting.
Biography
American photographer was born in New York. It was the middle of the twentieth century, a time of the photography craze, which Roger Ballen's mother had not spared. The woman was fond of this genre and owned a magnificent photo gallery, where the works of famous photographers of the United States of America were exhibited. Therefore, the boy from an early age grew up in a creative atmosphere, he was surrounded by photographic work, and in the family there were constantly disputes and conversations about the genres and technique of photography.
When Roger graduated from high school, his parents gave their son an expensive professional camera as a present. While Roger was a student at the University of Berkeley, photography remained for him just one of his youth hobbies.
Career
At 23, graduate Roger Ballen decides to see the world and embarks on a long journey across countries and continents. The young man spent a year and a half in South Africa, where he met his beloved woman, who later became his wife. During his travels around the world, Roger has accumulated a lot of impressions that the photographer reflected on the pictures of his camera. In 1977, after returning home to New York, Roger Ballen publishes the famous photo album "Boyishness", declaring himself as a mature author with a unique style and outlook on the surrounding space and characters.
Publications
At the university, Robert received the profession of a geologist. He was still attracted to South Africa and returned to that country as an engineer on a geological exploration expedition. Ballen participated in the discovery of gold and platinum reserves, equipped mines, traveled almost all the towns and suburbs of the South African territory. When traveling, he always had a camera, which recorded everything that seemed interesting to the photographer. the main themes of his work were colorful local residents, avaricious African landscapes, and everyday scenes. 30 years of life in South Africa are reflected in the published books - "Dorps", "Platteland", "Outland".
Recognition and success
Photographic works are presented in books in the form of documentary reports, in which the intention of one author is immediately guessed. Only Robert Ballen sees the world this way.
The photographer's work received mixed reviews from employees in the art workshop, but Ballen was awarded the prestigious "Rencontres internationales de la photographie d'Arles" award, which was presented to him in 1995.
Robert Ballen is considered the founder of a special style of staged photography, combining real images with collages, elements of sculpture and author's drawings. His contribution to the development of photography technology is recognized all over the world.
