Roger Ballen: "You May Be a Photographer, But Are You an Artist?"
Renowned artist shares seven secrets to photography.
To free yourself from the confines of your mind to create art is a liberating process, and this comes as no exception to photography. In the year 2016, nearly anyone can pick up photography with the convenience of their smartphone, but does that make you an artist? “Good photographs stay in the mind. Extending consciousness should be the purpose of art — this picture never leaves your head because good pictures embed themselves deep inside your psyche,” says renowned photographer Roger Ballen. Known for his dramatic arrangements of people, animals and everyday objects within their surroundings, Ballen is credited for elevating the formal style of documentary photography to hold darker themes of psychological reflection. The artist now shares seven secrets to help finesse the common photographer’s attitude to the craft in a new interview produced by Cooperative of Photography. Featuring original photographs and footage from Ballen’s short films “Asylum of the Birds” and “Outland,” the video can be watched above.
