What is Typology:

Typology is a body of photographic work, that shares a high level of consistency that is mostly based on the environment and subjects It was created by Bernd and Hilla Becher in Germany, when they started taking photos of ruined buildings or those that had been abandoned.

Examples of Typology:

As you can see, they appear to have a deadpan style, with the camera facing the subject head-on in black and white. With nothing else in the frame, it’s just the building.

Bernd and Hilla Becher:

Bernd and Hilla Becher were a couple who formed a duo in photography. They were the ones who started Typology:

Photographers like Ed Ruscha, Thomas Ruff and Gillian Wearing were some of these photographers who went out and took photos similar to the Bechers’ work.

Ed Ruscha:

“Every Building on the Sunset Strip”

Ed Ruscha was famous for his paintings and prints but was also well known for his work on Typology in photography. He wanted to capture the same kind of images that the Bechers did. He is well known for his album named “Every Building on the Sunset Strip” which he made in Hollywood.

This 25ft folded album contained photographic views he took in the 1-and-a-half-mile road stretch of sunset. Every two pages would capture both sides of the road to create a panographic view.

“Twenty-six Gasoline Stations”

Ed Ruscha made his first book in 1963 and called it “Twenty-six Gasoline Stations”, it contained 26 pictures of gas stations. This is the book:

They fit the deadpan style with no particularly interesting features that the Berchers originally did. His motive was to intentionally make the photos boring to show people that the area had exactly that level of excitement in the actual place.