Roger Ballen (1950) is an American photographer living and working in Johannesburg, South Africa. He worked with South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord (The Answer) on their video ‘I Fink U Freeky,’ also resulting in a solo exhibition of the still works in the The Photographers Gallery za & Erdmann Contemporary. Using his characteristic style of grungy black and white photography, he created scenes resembling a reinterpretation of a cave family, with a comedic tone and child-like scrawlings of sexuality. The result is bizarre and playful, as well as amazingly creative and dramatic.

Ninja and Yo-landi, the two primary members of Die Antwoord, describe their reaction to Roger Ballen’s photography: “This new dark comic book world was The fokken Answer! We wanted to move into this world and leave our old reality behind. This new world was so alien but also so strangely familiar. So mysterious and comforting and exciting. And above all, so fokken South African!”

You can view the full music video online, as well as a ‘Behind the Scenes’ video.

To see more from Ballen, view a previous portfolio of his work we posted, or read our interview with him following his exhibition Skadukant in 2011.

www.erdmanncontemporary.co.za