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Stone Age: Ancient Castles of Europe
Castles and fortresses of medieval Europe
Follow photographer Frédéric Chaubin as he embarks on a unique, century-spanning journey through Europe. Featuring images of more than 200 buildings in 21 countries, Stone Age presents the history and architecture of the most dramatic medieval castles of the continent in an unprecedented collection.
Building on the success of his foray into Soviet design with CCCP, Chaubin once again documents the afterlife of highly rational structures that seem out of place in a modern-day world. Precursors of Brutalism, these castles value function over form and epitomize the raw materials and shapes that would go on to define so much of architectural history.
Shot on film with a Linhof view camera, the collection is the outcome of five years of travel and investigation. Complete with a practical map and explanatory essay, its castles tell the story of 400 years, unfolding through the feudal Middle Ages into the 15th century.
A photographic study of decay as much as endurance, Stone Age traces the history of some of these singular structures that continue to enchant their audiences today and that occupy a distinct, mystical place in our collective imagination.
Follow photographer Frédéric Chaubin as he embarks on a unique, century-spanning journey through Europe. Featuring images of more than 200 buildings in 21 countries, Stone Age presents the history and architecture of the most dramatic medieval castles of the continent in an unprecedented collection.
Building on the success of his foray into Soviet design with CCCP, Chaubin once again documents the afterlife of highly rational structures that seem out of place in a modern-day world. Precursors of Brutalism, these castles value function over form and epitomize the raw materials and shapes that would go on to define so much of architectural history.
Shot on film with a Linhof view camera, the collection is the outcome of five years of travel and investigation. Complete with a practical map and explanatory essay, its castles tell the story of 400 years, unfolding through the feudal Middle Ages into the 15th century.
A photographic study of decay as much as endurance, Stone Age traces the history of some of these singular structures that continue to enchant their audiences today and that occupy a distinct, mystical place in our collective imagination.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 7, 2021
Europe. Present day. Frédéric Chaubin’s Stone Age, Ancient Castles of Europe is a coffee table book printed in three languages: English, German, and French and divided into five chapters: GAME OF STONES, Massive Medieval Masonry; VERTICAL SURVIVAL, Higher, Safer, Stronger; FLOATING FRONTIERS, Building Beyond Borders; FROM WAR TO PEACE, An Evolving Morphology; DESTINY AND DECAY, The Aesthetics of Disappearance, and the author/photographer’s main objective is “to use the magic of photography to show how these remains have endured time. Photography is a medium of traces. Its time is the time of ghosts. Castles are their place”. The author explains that “form followed function”, and then he shows the reader with his exquisite photography how “form followed function” with well-crafted photographs of castles all over Europe and one in Armenia which was built in the 9th c. This unequalled book truly illustrates “the magic of photography” and with the subject being timeless castles, one’s vision and imagination will be working overtime. Frédéric Chaubin is definitely an outstanding artist! Highly recommended! 5+ stars
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February 10, 2022"But in his latest book, "Stone Age: Ancient Castles of Europe," writer and photographer Frédéric Chaubin set out to disrupt the familiar stereotypes, using prose and photography to link the medieval with the Modernist."
Hmmm. Just read that comment in a CNN STYLE article on this book and architecture. I haven't actually viewed it yet. LL 🧐
Hmmm. Just read that comment in a CNN STYLE article on this book and architecture. I haven't actually viewed it yet. LL 🧐
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews