American photographer Roger Ballen's monograph covers over 30 years of his evocative black-and-white portraits of the impoverished white population in rural South Africa. Drawing comparisons to Walker Evans and Diane Arbus, Ballen's photographs depict life in the Platteland, a secluded region. His subjects, often day laborers and transients, are shot against the stark, surreal interiors of their homes, creating sculptural scenes with objects like wire and furniture. Published for a retrospective at the Münchner Stadtmuseum, the work delves into Ballen's unique approach to photographic myth-making, blending documentary style with surrealistic elements.
