Pareidolia is the tendency of the human brain to interpret inanimate objects as faces, bestowing personality on things that are innately without it. Sydney-based photographer Juli Balla takes advantage of this with her playful works. “Figurativism to me is where the brain fills in the gaps”, she says, “my motto is less is more”. In two recent series, Balla has created characters from objects that, when combined, take on a life of their own. In Sunglasses, still lives come alive in the style of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, our eyes led by the inclusion of a pair of stylish sunglasses to recast assemblages of food into cheerful sunbathers. A cucumber becomes an impressive nose, garlic roots become a sprightly goatee, and a nibbled crust gives a loaf of bread a sunny disposition. With Balla’s Persona non Grata series, stereotypes play a large role in interpreting the portrait of a person who isn’t actually present in the piece. Quaffed hair, suspenders or a jaunty cigarette are all the artist gives, alongside a quick biography. “In this work I am investigating how little is needed to define individuals and the shifting concept of personal identity”, says the artist. Balla’s practice upends preconceived notions of photographic realism, as the reality we perceive is almost entirely within our own minds.
Above: Juli Balla, Inga, 2013. Pigment print on cotton rag art paper, 100 x 133cm. Courtesy: the artist.
Juli Balla, Sunglasses 4, 2021. Pigment print on satin rag paper, 65 x 88.5cm.
Juli Balla, Vince, 2013. Pigment print on cotton rag art paper, 100 x 133cm.
Juli Balla, Sunglasses 1, 2021. Pigment print on satin rag paper, 65 x 88.5cm.