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by Robert Charles Mann (Photographer), Brad Pitt (Foreword by)
"A beautiful book... a unique tribute to this estate, the cosmos and our friendship." --Brad Pitt
Photo artist Robert Charles Mann explores time and space through luminous pinhole photography, capturing the sun's movement across the sky over the storied Château Miraval.
How can we see the flow of time, endless and unbroken? In his quest to understand temporality, change, and permanence, Robert Charles Mann has returned to a minimalist approach to photography. Over the course of several years, he has installed handcrafted pinhole cameras throughout the historic Miraval estate, continuously capturing the sun from solstice to solstice on paper. Solargraphs are not composite montages, but the result of continuous exposure of the sun for six months in a practice bridging old-school traditional methods with modern digital techniques. The result is a breathtaking visual meditation on time, space, and the cosmos.
Featuring a foreword by Brad Pitt, the steward of Château Miraval, this curated volume presents fifty exceptional images that bear witness to the silent, continuous movement of time and light. Mann's solargraphs are radiant, mysterious, and full of wonder, now brought together for the first time in this exceptional artist's book.
Author Biography
Robert Charles Mann is an American photo artist based in France. A master printer before becoming a photographer in his own right, he quickly gained recognition for the exceptional quality of his work, collaborating with leading fashion and film photographers the 1980s and 1990s. Today, he is known for his enigmatic, dreamlike pinhole photography, which he produces during artist residencies at historical French châteaux. He is represented by the Galerie Capazza and the Cardi Gallery. He also composes music for films and television, and is versed in astronomy. Having established himself in Los Angeles, Mann moved to Paris in 1989 and now resides in the Loire Valley.
Brad Pitt is an acclaimed American actor and film producer. He rose to fame in the 1990s with roles in films such as Thelma and Louise, Interview with the Vampire, and Fight Club. He has received a plethora of accolades over the course of his career. Not just a Hollywood icon, Pitt is also a dedicated patron of the arts. He has cultivated a profound appreciation for art and photography, collecting contemporary art and collaborating with various artists. A friend of the photographer, Pitt has curated a permanent installation of Mann's Solargraphs at Miraval Studios.
