Nick was interviewed about his experience shooting ‘Leather for Maharam’, a recent commission from the US-based textile design company. This story allowed Nick a very organic relationship with the client, and the space to translate his visual style inside the Italian tanneries.
Click here to read what Nick told The Creative Review about his experience.
Nick’s story ‘Armada’ continues to catch attention. Normally, the curiosity begins with the fact that Bolivia is a landlocked country with a Navy, and some of its recruits have never seen the sea.
He was recently approached by Laura Mallonee, from WIRED, to talk more about his experience getting access, spending days in the Navy, and following the life of the young recruits. This is part of Nick’s long term project ‘The Bitter Sea’ focusing in Bolivia’s loss of the sea over 130 years ago, and it's longing to recover its access to the Pacific from Chile.
'In his ongoing project, The Bitter Sea, photographer Nick Ballón draws on his heritage to investigate the proud and nostalgic relationship landlocked Bolivia has with the sea.'
Verónica Sanchis recently spoke with Nick about his experience working on this project for the PHMuseum. He shared insights about his interest in Bolivia: the main stage for his work. He is slowly bringing the pieces together with constant visits to the country, reseach and negotiations. Nick's work is endlessly fueled by his Bolivian heritage, and interest to continue connected to his ancestry.
Nick went back to El Alto, Bolivia's largest growing city, and came back with a portrait of a rebellious young city.
He talked with It's Nice That about his approach to this bustling South American city: “I wanted to give the photo essay an uncluttered and refreshing tone, keeping the frames simple,” he says. “It’s a story about a young city and I really wanted Ciudad Rebelde to focus on the city’s population as they are the ones shaping it.”
He also shared some insights about his practice in general and initial inspirations to make photography his art.
Photography director, writer and expert of the craft, recently got a piece published for Fold Magazine about Nick's last decade dedication to capture life, culture, and changes in Bolivia. The very center on Nick's practice.
She well describes it as 'a personal journey into his Bolivian heritage, shaped around his lifelong curiosity to understand both his own history and the people and places which informed it.'
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