An expanded edition of Ballen’s debut photobook—a charming homage to the spirit of boyhood around the world.
This new and expanded edition of Roger Ballen's widely acclaimed 1979 photobook
Boyhood features new and unpublished images taken by the photographer in the '70. Quoted by
André Kertész, Bruce Davidson and Elliott Erwitt as a rare and intimate view of the spirit of youth, these images are able to bring back the childhood of everyone.
In photographs and stories, Ballen leads us across the continents of Europe, Asia, and North America in search of boyhood: boyhood as it is lived in the Himalayas of Nepal, the islands of Indonesia, the provinces of China, the streets of America. Each stunning black and white photograph (culled from 15,000 boy photos shot during Ballen's four-year quest of his subject) depicts the magic of boys revealed in their games, their adventures, their dreams, their mischief.
Boyhood is able to connect boys all around the world across the borders of nationality and culture.
More of an ode or a memory than a literal document, Ballen's first book is as powerful and current today as it was 43 years ago presenting a stunning series of timeless images that transcend social and cultural particularities.
Born in New York City in 1950, Roger Ballen has lived in Johannesburg, South Africa since the early 1980s. One of the most influential and important photographic artists of the 21st century, Ballen's photographs span over fifty years. His strange and extreme works confront the viewer and challenge them to come with him on a journey into their own minds as he explores the deeper recesses of his own.
