MONIKA BIELSKYTE / DREAM & REALITY OVERLAP IN YOUR WORK, & DESPITE THE IMAGE ALL BEING FLASHED IN FOCUS, WE STILL QUITE FEEL IN THE STATE OF NOT YET BEING FULLY AWAKE. THE AUTHENTIC MOMENT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE ONE THAT IS FACTUAL BUT THE ONE THAT IS BELIEVED IN. EVERYTHING SEEMS REAL & INCREDIBLE AT THE SAME TIME, SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF LIFE YET SO RARELY ACHIEVED BY ART. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT HOW DO YOUR IMAGES HAPPEN, ABOUT THE PROCESS?
ROGER BALLEN / I NEVER START A PHOTOGRAPH UNTIL I GET TO THE PLACE, I DON’T PLAN A PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE I GO THERE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLAN HOW THINGS WOULD COME TOGETHER, IT IS REALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT THAT MOMENT WHEN THE PICTURE WORKS. SO I GO THERE & COMPOSE THE PICTURE, I WORK WITH THE PEOPLE, WORK WITH THE PLACE. IT IS AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS, SOMETIMES I TELL SOMEBODY WHAT TO DO, SOMETIMES THEY DO IT, SOMETIMES JUST AS I TELL THEM TO DO IT SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS, WE WORK IN A SMALL PLACE. NO PICTURE IS EVER THE SAME & I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO SEE PHOTOGRAPHY NO DIFFERENT THAN PAINTING – EACH TIME WITH A PHOTOGRAPH IT IS LIKE STARTING WITH A NEW CANVAS & ULTIMATELY THE PHOTOGRAPH IS A PRODUCT OF MY OWN VISION, THE WAY I SEE & THE WAY I COMPOSE REALITY IN FRONT OF ME, LIKE DRAWING WITH LIGHT RATHER THAN DRAWING WITH A PAINTBRUSH
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MB / EXCEPT FOR ‘BOYHOOD’, YOU HAVE ONLY TAKEN IMAGES IN SOUTH AFRICA DESPITE TRAVELING IN ALMOST ALL THE COUNTRIES OF THE CONTINENT, WHY THE DECISION TO NOT EVEN TAKE A CAMERA WHEN SOMEWHERE ELSE?
RB / BECAUSE WHEN I TRAVEL IT’S USUALLY FOR HOLIDAY OR IT’S USUALLY RUNNING HERE, RUNNING THERE. FOR ME PHOTOGRAPHY IS LIKE WRITING PHILOSOPHY, IT TAKES A LOT OF CONCENTRATION, A LOT OF MENTAL PREPARATION – THERE IS NO POINT JUST SNAPPING HERE. MY PICTURES ARE NOT ABOUT SNAPSHOTS – THEY ARE VERY CONCENTRATED MOMENTS, CONCENTRATED EVENTS, WITH COMPLEX MEANINGS TO THEM. IF I AM ON MY WAY TRYING TO CATCH TRAINS & BOATS, & PLANES, & CARRYING LUGGAGE, & HAVING TO GO TO THE MEETINGS, I AM JUST NOT CONCENTRATING ON WHAT I AM DOING. THERE IS NO POINT TO DO TRY & DO SOMETHING IF I CANNOT CONCENTRATE ON IT PROPERLY, THAT ISN’T MY PURPOSE
MB / CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE HITCH-HIKE TRIP YOU IN YOUR YOUTH?
RB / I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I HAVE DONE IN MY LIFE, BECAUSE I HAVE SPENT 4 & A HALF YEARS DOING THIS TRIP ACROSS THE WORLD, BY MYSELF, WITH VERY LITTLE MONEY AT THAT TIME. IT WAS IN THE 70S, THERE WERE NO CELLPHONES, THERE WERE NO DIGITAL CAMERAS, NO COMPUTERS, THE PHONES DIDN’T WORK. THERE WERE NO PHONES OR PHONES DIDN’T WORK IN AFRICA, & IF YOU WANTED TO MAKE A PHONE CALL YOU MAY HAVE TO WAIT AROUND THE POST OFFICE FOR 5 DAYS TO GET THROUGH ON A LINE. SO YOU KNOW IT’S A DIFFERENT WORLD IN MANY WAYS, & I THINK IT LEFT ME WITH A VERY STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN CONDITION, I THINK IT GAVE ME A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I THOUGHT OF HUMANITY, OF WHAT HUMANITY WAS, WHO I WAS IN TERMS OF HUMANITY, WHAT ARE HUMANITY’S LIMITS OR WHAT IS THE WHOLE HUMAN LIFE CYCLE ABOUT. I WAS ALWAYS TELLING IN MY MIND THAT EXPERIENCE WAS THE BASIS OF EVERYTHING THAT CAME LATER, IN TERMS OF WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS
MB / & CAN YOU TELL ME FROM WHERE TO WHERE DID YOU GO?
RB / FROM CAIRO TO CAPE-TOWN, THAT’S HOW I GOT TO SOUTH AFRICA, BY LAND & THEN FROM ISTAMBUL TO BALI.. BOAT THROUGH PACIFIC, TRIP ACROSS ASIA, IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, INDIA, NEPAL, BURMA, THAILAND, MALAYSIA, ALL THE WAY THROUGH ASIA UNTIL PHILIPPINES..
MB / IT COULD BE A WHOLE AMAZING SEPARATE INTERVIEW ON IT ALL..NOW THAT PEOPLE TRAVEL SO MUCH, BUT JUST LIKE TOURISTS, SO SUPERFICIALLY
RB / WELL..YOU COULD SAY THE 70S WEREN’T LIKE THE 30S, & THE 30S WERE NOT LIKE THE 19TH CENTURY.. BUT CERTAINLY THE TECHNOLOGY ISSUES HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH THE WAY WE EXIST IN THIS WORLD TODAY, WITH THE CELLPHONE, COMPUTER, INTERNET.. YOU ARE NEVER ALONE IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE IN A WAY, TECHNOLOGY IS FOLLOWING YOU AROUND & BECOMES LIKE A SHADOW, THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE. I WAS UP IN SUDAN, ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I WAS IN SUDAN, IN THE MIDDLE OF SUDAN & PEOPLE WERE CALLING ME FROM AMERICA, IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, ON CELLPHONE..
MB / & YOU TRAVELED COMPLETELY ALONE FOR THE WHOLE OF THE TRIP?
RB / YEAH, I WAS ALONE, YES. I THINK IT GAVE ME A GREAT SENSE OF BEING ABLE TO GET THINGS DONE BY MYSELF & NOT HAVE OTHER PEOPLE DO THINGS FOR ME
MB / AFTER ALL THE TIME BEING IMMERSED IN THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE VIOLENCE & HARSHNESS BOTH OF THE HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS & NATURE KEEPS ONE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE TRAGIC/VULNERABLE SIDE OF OUR EXISTENCE, WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PEOPLE’S PREOCCUPATIONS (AS SEEN IN ART, MEDIA ETC) IN YOUR HOMETOWN NEW YORK & WESTERN WORLD IN GENERAL?
RB / I THINK THE QUALITY OF A LOT OF THE ART WE SEE REFLECTS PEOPLE’S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD, IT SHOWS THEIR INABILITY TO DEAL WITH DEEPER ISSUES, &, MORE IMPORTANT, EXISTENTIAL ISSUES THAT WOULD COME ABOUT, THAT THEY WOULD EXPERIENCE IF THEY WERE NOT SO IMMERSED IN MODERN CONTEMPORARY LIFE & SO ADDICTED TO TECHNOLOGY & SHELTERED IN ALL SORTS OF WAYS. & THIS MENTALITY IS EXPRESSED & REFLECTED IN CONTEMPORARY ART BUSINESS, THIS IS WHAT WE SEE.. THE LACK OF QUALITY OF CONTEMPORARY ART ONLY REFLECTS THE INNER WORKINGS OF MOST PEOPLE WHO LO LIVE IN THE CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY, NOT BEING ABLE TO FOCUS ON MORE PROFOUND ISSUES
MB / YOUR WORK, DIFFERENTLY THAN MOST OF THE CONTEMPORARY ART & PHOTOGRAPHY, IS LOOKING LIFE STRAIGHT INTO THE EYE, WITHOUT THE-NOW-SO-POPULAR ESCAPADE INTO DECORATIVE-ISM, CONCEPTIONAL-ISM, EASY ENTERTAINMENT THAT AT THE END ONLY HELPS PEOPLE TO AVOID THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING IN THIS WORLD &/OR IN THEIR OWN LIVES. YET DESPITE BEING SO UN-CONCESSIONAL YOUR WORK IS IN THE BIGGEST ART GALLERIES & INSTITUTIONS. DO YOU FEEL A STRANGER AMONG IT ALL? WHY DO YOU THINK CONTEMPORARY ART HAS BECOME SO FULL OF PEOPLE’S EGO, VANITY & FAKENESS & ALMOST COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM LIFE’S ISSUES?
RB / I HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT WORK THAN MOST OF ARTISTS FOR ALL SORTS OF REASONS. AS YOU KNOW I AM A TRAINED GEOLOGIST, I HAVE A DOCTORATE IN GEOLOGY, HAVE BEEN A BUSINESSMAN FOR MANY MANY YEARS, AN ARTIST FOR MANY MANY YEARS. I THINK ALWAYS MOST IMPORTANT TO ME IS NOT WORRYING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DO, BUT JUST REALLY TRY TO FOCUS ON WHAT I AM DOING. YOU CAN GO CRAZY IF YOU FOLLOW WHAT IS GOING ON THERE, YOU SEE SO MUCH STUFF THAT IS SO FULL OF PEOPLE’S EGOS, VANITY & FAKENESS, AS YOU SAY IT, YOU CAN ACTUALLY GIVE UP AFTER A WHILE IF YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THIS SITUATION ALL THE TIME & TRY TO IDENTIFY WITH WHAT IS OUT THERE. I TRY NOT TO GET MYSELF INVOLVED IN IT ALL & I THINK THE ONE THING THAT I HAVE PROBABLY BEEN LUCKY ABOUT, THOUGH I DON’T KNOW IF LUCKY IS THE RIGHT WORD, WAS LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA. FOR ALL THESE YEARS I HAVE BEEN REALLY PRETTY FAR AWAY FROM ALL THOSE THINGS, THERE IS NOT MUCH OF THE CONTEMPORARY OR A SCENE HERE, CERTAINLY MOST OF THE YEARS I HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE, THERE WAS ALMOST NO CONTEMPORARY ART SCENE, THERE ARE ISSUES OF CONTEMPORARY LIFE HERE TO THE SAME DEGREE, BUT THE ART BUSINESS & ART WORLD HERE IS VERY VERY SMALL, I SPEND A LOT OF MY TIME HERE, IT’S NOT LIKE LIVING IN PARIS OR NEW YORK WHERE YOU ARE JUST IN IT & IT’S JUST ONE THING AFTER THE NEXT AFTER THE NEXT AFTER THE NEXT, HERE IT’S ON MUCH MUCH SMALLER SCALE, IT ENABLED ME TO JUST FOCUS ON MY WORK, NOT HAVE TO COMPARE MYSELF WITH OTHER PEOPLE, JUST FOCUS ON WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING ALL THESE YEARS
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MB / YOUR MAIN MEDIUM IS BOOKS, CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT?
MB / MY GOAL IN ALL MY PROJECTS YEAR AFTER YEAR HAVE BEEN BOOKS, MOST OF THEM TAKE ME 4 TO 5 YEARS & THE BOOK IS REALLY MY END RESULT OF ALL THE WORK DONE DURING THIS PERIOD, I REALLY AM BOOK ORIENTATED RATHER THAN EXHIBITION ORIENTATED. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO START SOMETHING & FINISH SOMETHING, A LOT OF PEOPLE START SOMETHING BUT THEY DON’T FINISH IT. IF I WORK ON SOMETHING FOR 4 OR 5 YEARS IT IS TO MAKE IT INTEGRATED, A VERY DIFFICULT TASK, BUT ALSO VERY INSPIRING, YOU LEARN A LOT; CREATING SOMETHING IS LIKE CREATING A LIFE ON ITS OWN ALMOST, IT’S A REAL CHALLENGE TO DO THESE THINGS & SEE THEM THROUGH WHEN YOU ACTUALLY FINISH IT
MB / FOR YEARS YOU HAVE WORKED AS A GEOLOGIST & YOU STILL PRACTICE IT NEXT TO YOUR ARTISTIC WORK. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO TAKE ON THIS PROFESSION BACK IN TIME & WHAT STILL FASCINATES YOU ABOUT IT TO KEEP DOING IT WHEN THERE IS NO MORE FINANCIAL NECESSITY?
RB / WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I ALWAYS LIKED BEING IN NATURE & EVEN TODAY NATURE FOR ME IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL INSPIRATION, PROBABLY YOU DON’T FEEL THAT MUCH OF IT AMONG CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS, BUT FOR ME THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY OTHER ISSUE ABOUT IT. GEOLOGY BROUGHT ME CLOSE TO NATURE, I ENJOYED THAT PROFESSION & THOUGHT IT WAS MY CHALLENGE TO FIND GOLD & DIAMONDS, OR COPPER, OR COAL, I ENJOYED BEING IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN AFRICA. IT WAS A REALLY ENJOYABLE JOB BECAUSE I LIKE BEING IN NATURE & I ENJOY A CHALLENGE OF FINDING THINGS, SO I THOUGHT IT REALLY INTERESTING & INTERACTIVE ENVIROMENT, IT GAVE ME A GOOD BALANCE WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHY I WAS DOING. I WAS REALLY LUCKY TO LIKE MY CAREER, I WAS ALWAYS MY OWN BOSS, BECAUSE IT ENABLED ME TO DO PHOTOGRAPHY – I DIDN’T WORK FOR ANYBODY, I HAD MY OWN TIME & I COULD DO MY OWN THING. THAT WAS A VERY CRUCIAL POINT FOR ME, THAT I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENCE FROM OTHER PEOPLE & DO MY PHOTOGRAPHY, YEAR AFTER YEAR ON MY OWN TIME
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MB / IT IS ALL SO MUCH ABOUT TRACES IN YOUR WORK; DRAWINGS & CREAKS ON THE WALLS, WIRES IN THE MOST IMPROBABLE FORMS, THEY ARE ALMOST LIKE CHARACTERS THEMSELVES IN YOUR IMAGES. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT? & ABOUT SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE BEHIND THE CURTAIN, BEHIND THE SURFACE, BEHIND THE SHOT. IS IT HARDER TO CHOOSE WHAT WILL BE IN THE IMAGE OR WHAT TO LEAVE OUT?
RB / I THINK YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ABOUT THAT. I THINK PEOPLE TOO OFTEN JUST ASK ME ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THE PLACE, THEY DON’T LOOK AT THE FINER DETAILS IN THE PICTURES. ESPECIALLY IN THE BOARDING HOUSE, THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DETAIL TO LOOK AT & I THINK EACH ONE OF THESE THINGS, AS YOU SAY, ARE CHARACTERS IN THEMSELVES, THE IMAGES IN THEMSELVES, HAVE THEIR OWN INNER NEEDINGS. THEY ARE ALL PART OF THE PICTURE & EVERYTHING IN THE PICTURE EQUALS EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE PICTURE, I THINK IT IS AN IMPORTANT POINT TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALL THESE THINGS YOU SEE HAVE AN EQUAL IMPORTANCE, THEY ARE ALL THERE TO INTEGRATE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE, TO CREATE A HIGHER LEVEL RELATIONSHIP – IF YOU TAKE ONE THING OUT THEN THE WHOLE THING DOESN’T WORK SO WELL. IT IS AN INTEGRATED ARTISTIC VISION THAT YOU SEE – USING DRAWINGS, USING PEOPLE, USING ANIMALS, USING PAINTINGS, USING SCULPTURE, USING TEXTURE, USING LINES, USING SHADOW, USING LIGHT – ALL THESE THINGS INTERACT INSIDE THE PICTURE LAYER ON LAYER ON LAYER, I THINK IT IS NOT A MATTER OF CHOOSING WHAT WILL BE IN THE IMAGE OR WHAT WILL BE OUT, THE PROBLEM IS TO INTEGRATE THINGS TO CREATE A HIGHER LEVEL MEANING, I THINK THAT IS THE HARD PART
MB / & THAT’S WHAT I FEEL IS SO DIFFERENT & SO FASCINATING ABOUT YOUR WORK
RB / THAT IS REALLY THE CHALLENGE TO INTEGRATE ALL THOSE THINGS INTO A COMMON REALITY.. IT HAS TAKEN ME 40-50 YEARS OF DOING THIS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, TO INTEGRATE MORE & MORE THINGS IN THIS SIMPLE COMMENT ON REALITY, THAT IS THE HARD POINT. I ALWAYS COMPARE THAT TO JOGGLING, IT IS EASY TO THROW ONE OR 2 BALLS IN THE AIR, BUT TRY THROWING 8, 9 OR 10 – YOU WILL SEE HOW HARD IT IS – & THAT IS THE ISSUE HERE
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MB / CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT SHADOW CHAMBER, THE PLACE?
RB / THE SHADOW CHAMBER WAS A BUILDING IN THE EASTERN SIDE OF JOHANNESBURG, AN OLD MINING BUILDING, 3 FLOORS, 2 FLOORS IN THE BASEMENT. IT WAS BUILT IN THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, IT WAS A LONG BUILDING, A BUILDING WHO HAD LONG LONG LONG HALLWAYS & OF THE SIDES OF THE HALLWAYS, SMALL ROOMS LIKE CHAMBERS. I SPENT 4 YEARS IN THIS BUILDING PHOTOGRAPHING THE PEOPLE OF THE SHADOW CHAMBER, IT WAS AN OLD BUILDING THAT PEOPLE STAYED IN.. IN SEPTEMBER 2004 THEY TORE THE BUILDING DOWN
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MB / & ABOUT BOARDING HOUSE, THE PLACE YOU HAVE CREATED OF IT? IS IT MORE A REAL PLACE OR A PLACE WHERE ONE’S DREAMS ARE COMING FROM?
RB / I THINK WHAT IS REAL IN THE BOARDING HOUSE IS BOARDING HOUSE THE BOOK. IF YOU WENT TO THE BOARDING HOUSE & SPENT 5 YEARS & MADE A BOOK OF IT, IT WOULDN’T BE THE SAME BOARDING HOUSE THAT I CREATED. THE BOARDING HOUSE IS MY PICTURES THAT ARE PUT TOGETHER & NOW IT IS CALLED BOARDING HOUSE, I THINK THAT’S WHAT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, IT IS NOT AN ISSUE WHETHER IT IS A REAL PLACE OR A DREAM PLACE. IT IS ABOUT INTERACTING IN A PLACE TO CREATE A VISION OF THE WORLD THAT I HAVE CALLED THE BOARDING HOUSE & WHETHER IT IS A REAL PLACE OR NOT IT DOESN’T MATTER; IT IS A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE BUT PEOPLE DO NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND
MB / HOW DIFFERENT IT IS FOR YOU TO WORK IN JOHANNESBURG, FROM YOUR PREVIOUS WORKS IN COUNTRYSIDE?
RB / I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WORKING IN JOHANNESBURG IS THAT I CAN WORK 5 OR 6 AFTERNOONS A WEEK NOW. I GET IN MY CAR & WITHIN 15 MINUTES START TAKING PICTURES, WHEREAS THE COUNTRYSIDE WAS ENDLESS DRIVING HERE TO THERE & I HAD TO COME HOME, SOMETIMES SPEND 2-3 WEEKS AT HOME & THEN I HAD TO LEAVE AGAIN – IT WAS REALLY REALLY DIFFICULT TO GO BACK & FORTH ALL THE TIME. JOHANNESBURG IS A BIG CITY, BUT I DON’T NEED TO DO MUCH DRIVING AROUND, AS YOU COULD SEE IN THE SHADOW CHAMBER & BOARDING HOUSE I NOW WORK IN VERY SIMILAR PLACES, I DON’T NEED TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE CITY EVERY DAY BECAUSE I HAVE FOUND PLACES TO WORK IN & I STAY THERE, WHEREAS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE I USED TO GO FROM ONE VILLAGE TO THE NEXT VILLAGE TO THE NEXT VILLAGE – IT IS A DIFFERENT WAY TO PHOTOGRAPH. NOW IT IS MORE ABOUT FINDING ONE OR 2 PLACES & SPENDING YEARS & YEARS THERE RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIND SOMEBODY IN ONE PLACE & THEN GOING TO THE NEXT PLACE – I THINK THAT IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE; I HAVE PRODUCED A LOT MORE PHOTOGRAPHS THIS WAY, DOING WORK EVERY DAY
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MB / ‘THE TWIRLING WIRES’ IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL IMAGES I HAVE EVER SEEN. MAKES ME THINK OF A HURRICANE, OR OF A WHOLE WORLD DESCENDING UPON A MAN, OR MAYBE RATHER THE WORLD INSIDE US, BIGGER THAN OUR OWN SELVES, BEAUTY & TERROR, SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT COMPREHEND & ARE NEVER ABLE TO PUT INTO WORDS. YOU HAVE WRITTEN ME A BIT ABOUT THE MAN IN THAT IMAGE, THAT YOU HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED HIM ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU SAW HIM & THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED SEVERAL WEEKS LATER THAT HE WAS FOUND DEAD IN THAT VERY SAME PLACE. WHAT DID YOU FEEL THEN? WHAT DOES THAT IMAGE MEAN TO YOU NOW?
RB / I ALWAYS SAY MOST IMPORTANT IMAGES ARE THE ONES THAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT REVEAL SOMETHING ABOUT MYSELF. TWIRLING WIRES FOR ME IS A VERY PROFOUND IMAGE, VERY POWERFUL IMAGE, IT’S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT IMAGES I EVER TOOK. WHEN I LOOK AT TWIRLING WIRES IT ALWAYS GIVES ME SOMETHING, ALWAYS SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT MY LIFE & ALWAYS INSPIRES ME IN SOME WAYS, I WANT TO LOOK AT THAT PICTURE BECAUSE IT REALLY ACHIEVES SOMETHING, SOMETHING THAT STICKS WITH ME, I WISH I COULD TAKE MORE PICTURES LIKE THAT. IT HAS ALWAYS GIVEN ME THAT, SO I AM NEVER TIRED OF IT. A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH LIVES, A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH LIVES BEYOND THE ARTIST, & THAT IS AN IMPORTANT THING, & NOT NECESSARILY MY RELATIONSHIP TO THAT PERSON OR THAT PLACE; I THINK MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE PHOTOGRAPH, WHAT IS IT SAYING, WHAT IS IT REVEALING, THAT’S THE KEY THING, THAT IT CONTINUALLY GIVES PEOPLE THE MESSAGE, WHEREVER THEY ARE, OVER THE TIME, THAT’S THE CRITERIA. NOT LIKE THAT CONTEMPORARY ART IDEA THAT YOU HAVE TO READ ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, IN A LOT OF CONTEMPORARY ART YOU LOOK AT THESE THINGS & YOU HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING AT ALL WHAT ANYTHING IS ABOUT, SO YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO READ ABOUT THEM, BUT WHEN YOU READ ABOUT THEM, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT YOU SEE – THAT IS NOT MY IDEA ABOUT GOOD ART
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MB / IS THERE SOMETHING THAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TRANSMIT VIA YOUR IMAGES? OR IS IT SOMETHING YOU ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND /FIND THROUGH THEM & THROUGH THE PROCESS, YOURSELF?
RB / I AM NOT TRYING TO TRANSMIT ANYTHING, I JUST DO MY WORK.. I DON’T HAVE GOALS, I DON’T SAY OH MY PICTURES ARE ABOUT THIS OR MY PICTURES ARE ABOUT THAT, THEY ARE ONLY ABOUT MY LIFE ON THE PLANET, MY RELATIONSHIP TO THE THINGS ON THIS PLANET, I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO PROVE, MY LIFE IS MY LIFE, IT IS NOT ABOUT ONE THING OR THE OTHER. I AM JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND MY LIFE, THAT’S ALL I AM TRYING TO DO – TRYING TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MY SHORT LIFE ON THE PLANET, WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT, WHO AM I. IT IS ALL THAT I AM TRYING, ACTUALLY IT’S THE ONLY PURPOSE OF WHAT I AM DOING. HOPEFULLY THOSE PICTURES WILL ALSO HAVE SOME IMPACT ON OTHER PEOPLE, HOPEFULLY THEY WILL MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE HUMAN EXISTENCE & HUMAN ENDEAVOR, IN SOME WAY
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS BY ROGER HAMILTON’S GALLERY LONDON COTOBER 2009 / MILAN TRIENALLE OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2009 / GAGOSIAN GALLERY NEW YORK NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2009 / KAMEL MENNOUR GALLERY PARIS JANUARY FEBRUARY 2010
THE ENTIRE ARTICLE (THE ENTIRE 3 PAGES INTERVIEW, 16 IMAGES OF WHICH 5 NEVER PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED & 3+ PAGES INTERVIEW) ONLY IN THE
PRINTED EDITION OF SOME/THINGS MAGAZINE ISSUE001
