Roger Ballen’s “Asylum of the Birds”

In this week’s issue of the magazine, we published a selection of photographs from Roger Ballen’s new book, “Asylum of the Birds.” From the introduction to the Portfolio:>

Roger Ballen grew up in New York City, surrounded by photographs and photographers—his mother was a picture editor for Magnum and a gallerist. He first trained as a geologist, a job that took him to South Africa—where he has lived and worked since the nineteen-eighties— and, he says, accustomed him to digging deep and bringing what he finds to the surface.

In the years he has spent living in South Africa, Ballen’s work has developed a mysterious and abstract style, with motifs of birds, small animals, wires, dolls, and drawings. Last year, Ballen was commissioned to direct the music video for Die Antwoord’s song “I Fink U Freaky,” which showcases his gritty, black-and-white style. A retrospective of Ballen’s work opens this June, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. Here’s a selection from “Asylum, ” which will be published early next year, by Thames & Hudson.

Click on the red arrows [#image: /photos/59096bf8019dfc3494ea17c9]for a full-screen view.