Dorps: The Small Towns of South Africa

From 1982 to 1986, Roger Ballen, an American photographer, travelled widely throughout South Africa, visiting its scattered towns and villages. During this time he developed a unique vision towards little-known corners and artifacts, trading stores, old houses and humble people. Textured with time, these photographs reveal the essence of these places. Roger says he has tried to depict what he believes to be a disappearing South African aesthetic. With each year, the anonymity of the present further transforms the character of these places. 'In many ways I feel as if I have recorded the elements of a dying culture. I photographed these towns in the hope of 'freezing' time and arresting the utter extinction of the South African dorp.'