CRASTOS (Stones) / 1995-2021
Stone Paths / Photographs by Salvatore Ligios

Photographs by Salvatore Ligios

A photographic story of Sardinia. The photographer used the region’s most characteristic feature. That is, the feature that has always struck the many visitors who have landed on this island over the centuries, and so aptly summarised by the English writer David Herbert Lawrence in his book Sea and Sardinia: “stone, stone and stone”.

Prehistoric monuments, caves, megaliths, castles, communication routes, petroglyphs, memorial stones, churches, tombstones, sculptures: in short sos crastos – “stones” in Sardinian dialect. Stones that have accompanied man since the dawn of creation and bear witness to the passing of time.
It is no coincidence that the greatest civilizations of the past elected to immortalise their history through the use of stone.

A journey from prehistory to the present day following a faint yet very personal trail through time: a journey that lets the images themselves suggest ideas, emotions, discoveries, findings and free interpretation. Photos include short captions that describe the location and date of the artifact.

This collection of photographs is defined by the use of black and white rather than colour. Solid black framings and burnt surfaces, alternating light and dark, the use of religious and secular symbols, smaller details contrasted with larger panoramas, in some cases drawing on traditional aesthetic styles along with more abstract ones, familiar visual codes become indecipherable, anonymous expanses of tone: this collection of photographs represent the many visual approaches brought together to offer photography enthusiasts visiting us an opportunity to discover a ‘stone civilization’.

This photographic project began in the early 1990s, and a first volume, published by Soter in 1995, is now sold out.

Thanks to Surrau’s support and the enthusiasm of President Tino Demuro, the final part of the project has now come to life, and you can admire this series of large-format prints displayed along the walkway at Vigne Surrau.