Artist Statement - Christopher John Ball

"Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time." Albert Camus

Drawing inspiration from philosophy, film, music and disability politics; Christopher John Ball believes that how we see ourselves, alongside our objectification by the camera, society and the state, takes the form of an existential challenge and his work is an exploration of this rationale. Whilst his work covers both social documentary and fine art, his methodology is consistent throughout.

His images explore and play with the 'sense of distance', 'lack of access', the 'mundane banality of modern life'. The themes of a 'sense of distance' and 'lack of access' have become increasingly important to Christopher as his disability deteriorates. The reaction of 'others' to a visible impairment can often be hostile leaving one feeling an 'outsider' 'looking in' and 'kept out'.

Given that he is also a writer, and because he sees in photography a strong link to literature, it should come as no surprise to find that his photographs are often made to work in series, rather than individual images, so as to create a visual narrative.

Whilst having embraced the digital world, Christopher much prefers the organic qualities offered by film. He uses a variety of equipment including 35mm SLR, 120 TLR, pin-hole, Holga, Diana, home-made, adapted and vintage cameras. He is also drawn to the use of alternative photographic processes, such as the cyanotype, and he will often scratch and bleach negatives to create a distressed aesthetic.

Rarely working from studios; the choice of everyday locations for his fine art nude imagery is a deliberate intent to emphasise a mundane theatricality.

"Life has no meaning a priori… It is up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing but the meaning that you choose" Jean-Paul Sartre