For artist and photographer Roger Ballen, the space he calls an "asylum" represents both a shelter and a place of insanity. On April 8, Ballen will release a new book entitled Asylum of the Birds, which encapsulates a project he worked on for the past six years in Johannesburg, South Africa.
All of the black and white photographs featured in Ballen's upcoming book were taken inside a ramshackle home in Johannesburg's suburbs, the location of which has not been revealed. Rundown and covered in graffiti, it's "a place in which birds and other animals mingle with its human inhabitants." While the people and birds that have been cast and orchestrated in Ballen's latest project may not be the most glamorous of subjects, there's still something bewitching about his images.
Asylum of the Birds will be released April 8 and will be available on Amazon for $60.00, but you can get it for a little cheaper if you pre-order it now. In the meantime, you can also watch his short film, directed by Ben Crossman, below.
