BALLARD'S BALL
Who was JG Ballard and what was his cause of death?
Plus, his influence on the 2024 Met Gala
EVERY year, the Met Gala centres around one theme, and in 2024 the event is inspired by JG Ballard's short story The Garden Of Time.
Now, many are intrigued to know more about the late author who inspired the fashion event of the year.
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Who was JG Ballard?
JG Ballard was a British-raised author born on November 15, 1930, in Shanghai, China.
In 1962, Ballard wrote his first novel, The Wind From Nowhere, followed by The Drowned World the same year.
However, one of his more famous novels was the autobiography Empire Of The Sun, which documented his adolescent years living in a Japanese prison camp for civilians near Shanghai during World War II.
The novel was later adapted into a film directed by Steven Spielberg.
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Similar to Empire Of The Sun, his novel Crash was also turned into a film directed by David Cronenberg.
Some of his other notable works of art have been his novels High-Rise and Concrete Island.
In 2006, he released his final novel Kingdom Come.
Two years later, he published an autobiography Miracles of Life.
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What was JG Ballard’s cause of death?
JG Ballard sadly passed away on April 19, 2009, at 78 years old.
Ballard died after a long battle with prostate cancer which he was diagnosed with in 2006.
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His agent Margaret Hanbury shared the news saying: "His acute and visionary observation of contemporary life was distilled into a number of brilliant, powerful novels which have been published all over the world and saw Ballard gain cult status."
Years after his death, his work is still studied and honored.
In 2024, the Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed he would be the inspiration for the Met Gala.
The official name is Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion and inspired by Ballard's short story The Garden of Time.
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As per the museum's , the theme is meant to "reactivate the sensory capacities of masterworks in the Museum’s collection through first-hand research, conservation analysis, and diverse technologies—from cutting-edge tools, artificial intelligence, and computer-generated imagery to traditional formats of x-rays, video animation, light projection, and soundscapes.
"Approximately 250 objects spanning four centuries will be on view, visually united by iconography related to nature, which will serve as a metaphor for the fragility and ephemerality of fashion.";
Was JG Ballard married?
JG Ballard - whose initials stand for James Graham - was married to a woman named Helen Matthews in 1954.
Sadly, Helen passed away in 1964 from pneumonia.
Throughout their marriage, the pair welcomed a son named Jim, and two daughters, Fay and Bea.
After his wife's death Ballard spent 40 years with Claire Walsh.
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The couple never married.
In 2014, Walsh passed away from cancer at 73 years old.
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