Chas Bowie Talk – Before there was Ballen
Jun 28th, 2008 by Brad
This Saturday, Quality Pictures (916 NW Hoyt, Portland, OR) hosted a talk by Chas Bowie entitled “Before there was Ballen”. This was the closing event for the show “Roger Ballen: Photographs” at Quality Pictures.
Chas talked about the Ballen’s and how his work builds on a myriad of photographic traditions. Chas approached this at several levels from the fundamental subjective, textural, and compositional comparisons to the deeper aesthetic and more complex psychological connections. Chas used lesser-known historical images to various well-known classics.
Some of the many photographs he discussed were August Sander, Shelby Lee Adams, Surrey County Lunatic Asylum portraits (Physiognomy), Roger Fenton’s “The Queen’s Target” (1860), Wallace Berman, Frederick Sommer, and Thomas Smillie’s “Komodo Dragon and Keeper, Roy Jennier, at the National Zoo” (1891).
Chas also discussed Physiognomy theories and early photography. He discussed how this work was used to judge by the veneer and how this has often been often perverted and abused by various power structures.
Ballen’s work started with a much more Arbus-esque documentary style and has evolved to have a much more enigmatic theatrical tone. I personally lie the more theatrical work.
Chas also has a new blog called That’s a Negative, that is always worth a read.
Unfortunately I had to leave early for an appointment, so I don’t know if Bowie’s essay is destined for print.
Roger Ballen as a new book called “Roger Ballen’s Shadow Chamber“. I think you can also buy this book at Quality Pictures. PORT did a review of the Ballen show at: http://www.portlandart.net/archives/2008/06/the_intrinsic_n.html
An image from this show and Portland’s other May shows at:
https://www.bradcarlile.com/blog/first-thursday/portland’s-may-first-thursday-gallery-openings/
Beautiful exhibition of photographer Roger Ballen at BNF, Paris. Caroline-Christa Bernard, Paris