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Catalog Data

Maker:
Roger Ballen, 1950, South Africa (born United States)  Search this
Medium:
Silver gelatin print
Dimensions:
H x W: 40 x 40 cm (15 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
Type:
Photograph
Geography:
South Africa
Date:
1999
Description:
In this strangely humorous black-and-white photograph, a man, visible only from the shoulders up, rests his chin on the back of a dark sofa. The wall behind him is enlivened by an electrical wire that emerges from the bare light fixture on the left and attaches at several points along the wall before moving down behind the figure and out beyond the left side of the picture frame. The walls are decorated with a child’s animal mask, a line drawing of a roosting chicken, and a torn image depicting the cartoon family, The Simpsons.
Exhibition History:
Lines, Marks and Drawings: Through the Lens of Roger Ballen, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D. C., June 19, 2013-June 30, 2014
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
Topic:
furniture  Search this
male  Search this
mask  Search this
Credit Line:
Gift of the artist and purchased with funds provided by the Annie Laurie Aitken Endowment
Object number:
2014-16-5
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© 1999 Roger Ballen
See more items in:
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source:
National Museum of African Art
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys70f4c06a7-009c-463f-b6e9-4f3eea1f34b5
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_2014-16-5