How often do we look at art and go beyond the average time of 28 seconds spent looking at an artwork, really engage with it? [1] In this exponentially faster-moving world fueled by consumerism, the art world has no doubt follows this rapid pace. Amidst the sovereignty of easy-to-digest artworks, I believe what stands out are those pieces that demand a pause, making us unable to avert our gaze. I would like to call these artworks of confrontation which not only compel us to comprehend their intrinsic content but drive us to connect with our inner worlds which we have long forgotten. What is meant by confrontation here is the ability to “disturb the comfortable” as said in the infamous quote [2]; a penetration deep into one’s mind, and a profound encounter with oneself. In this essay, I will be analyzing Roger Ballen's artwork titled Take off from 2012, around the theme of confrontation.

The American photographer has spent years capturing images of a “mad house” in the suburbs of Johannesburg in South Africa, resulting in his series called Asylum of the Birds. This black and white photograph features a person (whose gender is ambiguous, but for ease of reference, I will use "he") wearing a mask that covers his face and hair, is positioned at the center. In the background, a flat wall is covered with child-like drawings of a fusion of birds and planes. The person is sitting (or kneeling down) behind a table, with one hand on the table holding a small toy plane; and the other hand with his elbows on the table, holding a bird with thick and dark feathers. One other detail, arguably the most grotesque one, is the possibly dead bird that the person is holding by his mouth.

Beyond the absurdity portrayed in Take off, there are certain elements of this photograph that catches our attention at first glance, which I would like to refer to as the first step of confrontation, the image’s capacity to hook us through its visual language. One of these hooks is the photograph’s ability to create a perfectly circular eye movement, forcing us to see every detail presented. As human viewers, we tend to focus first on the eyes in an image [3]. After looking at the man’s face, our gaze continues towards the bird he holds, then to the background drawings, the bird/planes facing the other direction, and finally return to the mask/face again. Repetition is another element that hooks the viewer; during the course of this movement, we notice the repeating imagery; the birds, the planes, and even the eyes. However, what is also recognized is the fact that every object is distinct from the other, leading us to notice the contrasts, which brings us to the second step of confrontation.

The photograph presents a conspicuous conflict through the repetitive contrasts between the living and the dead; with the most noticeable being the living bird held in the man’s hand and the seemingly lifeless bird in his mouth. This contrast leads us to confront the reality of death which captivates us once it is carried into our consciousness and reminds us of our own mortality. However, the photograph blurs the line between the living and the dead, which doesn’t commit to our common notions of life. For instance, the central figure is a living person, though what looks back to us is a mask with eyes that lack liveliness. Another confronting element is the representation of birds in an unconventional approach. As Ballen states himself, birds are commonly referred to as symbols of purity and peace [4]; we are accustomed to seeing these creatures in contexts referring to hope and freedom. However, faced with this image, our preconceived notions about birds are dismantled, compelling us to form new interpretations. What’s more, not only birds at different stages of mortality are presented, but we are also faced with their fantastical versions, intertwined with the other predominant motif of planes. Due to the idiosyncrasy of the photograph, it is not possible to rely on pre-established inferences; we are left to take an introspective journey and develop individual commentary from deep within ourselves.

Another layer of confrontation emerges when we consider the background story of the series. The people in these photographs are the resident of the “asylum” in Johannesburg. However, the images do not simply document the life in there, Ballen directs his cast of outsiders, such as instructing them to draw on walls or hold specific objects. With these interventions, he creates fictional scenes inside a non-fictional environment, which requires an additional endeavor to figure out the reality.

Overall, Roger Ballen’s Take off is a piece of artwork that hook us at first sight with its brilliantly produced visual elements. Through contrasting motifs that explore such universal yet deeply personal themes of existence, it prompts the viewer to a conversation with themselves, to a confrontation with the private corners of their minds.

References

[1]       Smith, L. F., Smith, J. K., & Tinio, P. P. L. (2017). Time spent viewing art and reading labels. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 11(1), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000049

[2]       Google. (n.d.). 4 ways culture can bring you comfort. Google Arts & Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/zAWhmk2WD5hOww

[3]       Macknik, S. M. L. (2016). Is That Picture Looking at Me? Scientific American. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamericanillusions0816-68

[4]       Babej, M. E. (2021). Video & Interview: Roger Ballen’s Asylum of the Birds. Popular Photography. https://www.popphoto.com/american-photo/video-interview-roger-ballens-asylum-birds/