'My work takes you to the other side of your mind' – Roger Ballen, 2021
Reflex is proud to announce its fourth solo show with Roger Ballen Ballenesque in Color, which includes a series of Polaroids and a selection of Unseen photographs in colour. The photographs exquisitely demonstrate his signature absurd compositions, all meticulously orchestrated to uncanny perfection. The works truly escape any other definition than 'Ballenesque.'
Ballen is notorious for his black and white photographs of intriguing setups, described as psychologically haunting and visually puzzling. Following the artist's first Polaroid exhibition at the gallery, he has delved into colour photography. This new exciting body of work will premier at Reflex gallery. Alongside the larger photographs, the polaroids add another layer to the intrigue. Shot with Fujifilm's Instax series, the medium of the polaroids intensifies the experience of Ballen's bespoke world-building.
The small format of the Polaroids encourages the viewers to step closer and scrutinize them carefully. While Ballen's larger works might be viewed as carefully planned, the polaroids are spontaneous, raw and of-the-moment. The snapshot-like quality of the images parallel their unpredictability - not even Ballen knows exactly what they will look like after the flash has gone off. Together in the exhibition, the polaroids function as an exciting labyrinth of dark humour, ridiculousness, and abstract connections. Depending on the route the viewer's eyes take across the works, a surprise awaits them at every corner.
The show opens in conjunction with the gallery's second publication on Ballen's Polaroids, Roger Ballen Polaroids Volume 2. It features a selection of 150 unique polaroids all shot in the last two years, most of which are exhibited in the show. With this publication and exhibition, Reflex Amsterdam is excited to announce that it is the exclusive distributor of Roger Ballen's polaroids.
Roger Ballen (New York, USA, 1950) moved to Johannesburg in 1982 where he lives. and where he recently built the Inside Out Centre for the Arts. The artist's work is included in more than forty prestigious museum collections, including the Tate Britain, London; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne; and Maison Européene de la Photographie, Paris, to name a few.
We look forward to welcoming you to the show in the new space Reflex, theResidence. This second space opened in July 2021 and functions as a private showroom, gallery, temporary home for artists, library, and meeting space for collectors to gain inspiration in our innovative house of art. Please forward any questions to [email protected].
Press release courtesy Reflex Amsterdam.
Lijnbaansgracht 290 A
1017 RM
Amsterdam
Netherlands
www.reflexamsterdam.com
+31 (0) 20 627 28 32
The gallery is open by appointment only until further notice.