Sanctuary

Description

Magnum photographer Steve McCurry (b.1950) has beautifully and evocatively photographed the temples of Angkor in Cambodia, among the world’s most impressive monuments. Over 100 of his images of the site are collected in this stunning book, which documents a magical world of carved gods, weathered masonry, tangled vegetation and orange-robed monks.

Angkor was the capital of the Khmer rulers from the end of the ninth century until the mid-fifteenth. Each built a state temple at the capital, surrounded by walls, moats and embankments laid out in accordance with cosmological precepts. Designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the temples attract tourists, archaeologists and art historians, and are also a pilgrimage destination for Buddhist monks.

McCurry first visited Angkor on assignment for National Geographic magazine, for whom he has photographed all over the world. He has made many return visits, capturing a sublime portrait of the buildings, sculpture and people of Angkor. Winner of numerous honours, including first prize in the World Press Awards and the Robert Capa Gold Medal, McCurry has previously published Portraits and South Southeast (both with Phaidon). The photographs are accompanied by an informative introduction on the history and meaning of Angkor by John Guy, a leading authority on the cultural history of Southeast Asia.

Steve McCurry (b.1950) launched his career as a photojournalist when, disguised in native garb, he crossed the Pakistan border into Afghanistan before the Russian invasion. His coverage won him the Robert Capa Gold Medal given to photographers exhibiting exceptional courage and enterprise. Famous also for his work in Southeast Asia, his photographs are beautiful, uplifting and powerful. McCurry has worked for National Geographic magazine for many years and is a member of the prestigious Magnum agency.

John Guy is Curator of Indian and South East Asian Sculpture at the Victorian & Albert Museum, London, and Consultant to UNESCO on historical monuments in Southeast Asia.

“Steve McCurry captures the beauty and serenity of one of the world’s most wonderful sites.”—Evening Mail

“An immensely gifted photographer.”—Modern Painters

“A stunning book documenting this magical world.”—Traveller

“McCurry has taken not just the best photos yet of not only just the buildings and the sculpture but also the life that continues in Angkor today.”—Evening Standard

“Steve McCurry’s lushly poignant shots of the people and places of Asia have yielded some of the best known photographic icons of our time. His images often dance on a knife-edge between sensuality and tragedy, sentiment and anguish.”—The Independent

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