Roger Ballen / Photographs 1969-2009 : ロジャーバレン／フォトグラフ １９６９−２００９

ドイツのミュンフェン、スタッド美術館で、２０１０年１１月１２日から、２０１１年２月２７日まで開催されている展示会の図録。ロジャーバレンは１９５０年にニューヨーク市で生まれ、１９７０年代に、南アフリカのヨハネズバーグに移住し活動している作家。これまでに、８冊の写真集を出しているが、ドイツのケルバー出版の本作は、バレンの３０年以上にもわたる作品の変遷をたどる事ができる。古典的なドキュメンタリーの要素が濃い、１９７９年に出版された「ボーイフッド」から、２００５年の「シャドーチャンバー」、２００９年の「ボーディングハウス」の幻想的で、仮想的な作品を堪能できる。

バレンの作品は、統一して薄暗い。鉛色のトーンに、人と動物と、道具（人形、家具等）が浮かび上がり、まるで、狭い洞窟でとられたイメージのようだ。血で描かれたような壁に浮かび上がるドローイング、年齢不詳の人物の感情を読めない眼、、、すべてこれらは、バレンの仮想世界の出来事だとわかりながら、必要以上にどきりする。自分にまったく関係のない出来事が繰り広げられているのに、まるで自分の隠し持っている本能、例えばよこしまな欲望を目の前に突きつけられたかのように、動揺する。バレンの表象世界は、ジョエルピーターウィトキンスの幻想世界より、直接的なレトリックを使うことなしに、心理的に観る物の本能を呼び覚ますだろう。

An Exhibition catalogue for the show at the Munchner Stadtmuseum / Samling Fotografie (11/12/10-02/27/11). Ballen was born in NYC in 1950 and has lived in Johannesburg, South Africa since the 1970s. He has published the total 8 monographs earlier and Kerber Verlag Bielefeld (Germany) published his new book in 2010. It is an ideal overview of his career over 30 years, ranging from classic documentary work in his first book, "Boyhood" (1979) to his imaginary/fictionalized work in "Shadow Chamber" (2005) and "Boarding House" (2009).


It seems like the work of Ballen appears by the dim light of the candle and feel as if his photographs of people, animal and objects (dolls and furniture) are taken in a very narrow and tiny cave. Drawings done with blood, no emotion from eyes of unidentified people ,,,,,All those plots should be understood just as his own subjective imaginary, although, one can't help feeling that it can be his own agenda. He will feel embarrassed since his hidden secret, lust and emotion are now revealed and shown in front of his eyes.. Without obvious decorative elements, Ballen's figurative world awakens one's intuition more physiologically than fantasy of Joel-Peter Witkin.

Photographs 1969-2009
Roger Ballen
Kerber, 2010
ISBN 9783866784628

hardcover

Other publications:

Boarding House, 2009
Shadow Chamber, 2005
Fact or Fiction, 2003
Outland, 2001
Cette Afrique', 1997
Platteland, 1996
Dorps: Small towns of South Africa, Clifton Publications; 1st ed edition (1986)
Boyhood, 1979

Quatorze Juillet by Johan VAN DER KEUKEN

As a documentary filmmaker, author and photographer, the career of Johan van der Keuken indeed span over 4 decades. Van der Keuken was truly industrial (55 films and 9 books), and his work was highly acclaimed at many festivals throughout Europe and in the United States.

The image of Quatorze Juillet was shot in July 14, 1958 (Bastille Day) on the Ile Saint-Louis in Paris. Van der Keuken was 18 years old and attended the film school in Paris with a Dutch state scholarship (Institute for Advanced Cinematographic Studies, IDHEC). The vantage point of his camera was situated on the stage for the musician and successfully captured all people gathered for this parade in swirling movement. That also enables us to feel as if you were a part of the event, dancing, resting and chatting with the other participants and observing along with Keuken.

His wife, Noshka van der Lely, addressed in the end note that he was always intrigued by expanding possibilities of the images by arranging and reshuffling the original materials in various ways and his equal love for film making and photography. This book clearly attests his strong interest in making movement visible in still images and, thus, his juxtaposed position in both fields. His other photography books, "We are 17 (1955) ", "Behind Glass (1957)", "Paris Mortel (1963)" also testify and support his consistent/tenuous artistic stand point.

The one shot used for this books is the middle aged dancing couple, which was used for other his monographs, Paris Mortel (1963), Zien Kijken Filmen (1980), Abenteuer eines Auges (1987), L'Oeil Lucide (2001) and Aventures d'un regard (1998), After-Image (1991). The "Quatorze Juill" is a delightful publication which presents sheer ambition, intrigue and experiment of young van der Keuken.


Quatorze Juillet
Johan van der Keuken
Van Zoetendaal, 2010
ISBN 9789072532091

softcover
edition size 1,500 copies

Long Live The Large Family (Leve Den Stora Familjen) by Carl Johan De Geer

Carl Johan De Geer (July 1937-) is a

Swedish writer who was most active

in photography as a leftist artist in the

late 60s and early 70s.

"Long Live The Large Family"

(Leve Den Stora Familjen) portrayed

his bohemian life with his family and

friends. The work was generated from a lot of energetic,

youthful and inspiring moments that he enjoyed with

his circle.

Compared to photojournalistic work by Ed van der Elsken

and Anders Petersen, the work attains more private and

intimate temperaments achieved through his positive and

happy life style.

Dashwood Books (www.dashwoodbooks.com) published

"Long Live The Large Family" as its memorable first zine

project in January, 2010.

The book is designed with cropped contact sheet or

movie still type of format, printed on the high quality fine

paper. It is such a treasure to uncover the work that had

been buried for a long time and and to evaluate it as one

of the most characteristic 60s photography in history.

Long Live The Large Family
(Leve Den Stora Familjen)
Carl Johan De Geer
Dashwood Books, 2010

softcover
edition size 250 copies