John Behind a Man called Mashillo, 2000 Roger Ballen

Written by Max Wiener

Photo Edited by Kelly Woodyard

Black and white photography is as raw as it gets. The human condition looks truly real when its color is stripped, left only with the bleakness of its truth. Instead of giving minute, kaleidoscopic focal points around the piece, we are left inside the depths of our minds. When our perception of this unclouded reality is warped, it is then when we will understand the true nature of what it means to be human,

Roger Ballen and Joel-Peter Wilkin are masters of this specific process. Their incredible work explores the true nature of human beings, avant-garde or status quo. They tell complete stories, filled with explicit detail and between-the-line eye candy that captures a robust picture of their surroundings. Their fame and influence, however, come from their unique approach to the medium, recognizing the popularity of certain forms and advertently avoiding them. The punk nature of their artistic approach has rendered them the status of being two of the most influential artists of their generation.

The Uncanny Lens pairs the two artisans together in a way that only compliments the nuances of each other’s work. Staged elegantly amidst the classical setting of Italy’s Castel Ivano, the exhibition takes sixty works from the two artists and examines them together; there is no competition. Ballen and Wilkin are two differently-toned voices telling the same story. In their artistic harmony, we see the tremendous overlap they share.

Modifications On A Sculpture, New York City, 1968 Joel-Peter Witkin

Both Ballen and Wilkin are notable figures for the ways they approach the art of photography. Robert Frank and Fred Herzog, two titans in the black-and-white world, were known to teleport you into their worlds, leaving no frills or room to explore any hidden meaning they could cover. Their work has beauty and grace, but something must lie deeper to explore the themes of human expression fully. Ballen and Wilkin take the form and subvert the traditional narrative, and their yield is impressive.

Portrait of Joel, 1984 Joel-Peter Witkin

Some of the most interesting shots featured in The Uncanny Lens are negatives, where instead of focusing on traditional focal points, our minds wander and find other minutiae throughout the work. Eyes become lost in the dystopian color warping. Faces liken those of ghosts, adding thematic elements deep below the photograph’s surface. Impressively, these images are still technically black and white, falling in the category while being placed in their own special box. Images like these highlight the importance of both Roger Ballen and Joel-Peter Wilkin. Instead of following the herd, they did their thing and became their own artists, unconcerned with the zeitgeist’s requirements. One should never succumb to what is being pushed on them. Each of us has a unique voice that deserves to be heard, and looking at works like this only further instills this in us. Let us strive to be the best version of ourselves we can be.