Concrete Monsters: The Beauty of Brutalism – Tibeau

Concrete Monsters: The Beauty of Brutalism

Brutalism is an architectural style created right after the second world war. It comes from the word ‘Béton brut’, in French this means raw concrete. Many if not all brutalist buildings are made out of concrete. This was a popular style of architecture after the war because the concrete was easy to acquire and was inexpensive. Many countries used this as a way to rebuild housing after civilian households were bombed or destroyed. Brutalism is a different style than those popular at that time, and even today. Something about this architectural style has a deeper meaning. It is very mysterious, but straight forward. This was my main goal in my senior project. I wanted to understand brutalism in a deeper way. I used the medium of photography to project this because this is a way I like to express a feeling and a place.

My essential question was: How can I depict brutalism through photography? I went to multiple locations in New York City, Long Island, White Plains, and New Haven, Connecticut. All photos were taken using a Minolta X-370 35mm film camera and an iPhone 11. The images are compiled into a book titled: Concrete Monsters: The Beauty of Brutalism. All the photos included are divided by building location. I made a book, inspired by Bernice Abbott’s A Modern Vision and Paul Virilio’s Bunker Archeology, to combine both architecture and photography.