biography

ROGER BALLEN

Born on 1950 in New York City, Roger lives and has worked for thirty years in Johannesburg. For him photography is a way to express himself and a way to express other peoples feelings, he photographed civil rights activists and Vietnam War protesters of the 1960’s. He attended the University of California – Berkeley and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in psycology. His work can be seen at the museum of Modern Art and Victoria and Albert museum. Roger Ballen has had exhibitions at the National Library of Australia and University of Auckland, New Zealand.

I choose Roger Ballen as my inspiration because when I see his work I see what I expect to see in my pictures. His work is unique , it’s not the typical pretty picture you see everywhere, his pictures are weird, abstract, they tell a story and they have a dark feeling which is mainly why I choose him because I want all my pictures to be dark.