“Typology is the study of types, and a photographic typology is a suite of images or related forms, shot in a consistent, repetitive manner; to be fully understood, the images must be viewed as a complete series.”

artist reference –

Bernd & Hilla Becher

The husband and wife team of Bernd and Hilla Becher began photographing together in 1959. For close to fifty years, they documented architectural forms they collectively referred to as “anonymous sculpture.” Their extensive series of water towers, blast furnaces, coal mine tipples, framework houses of mine workers, and other vernacular industrial architecture—often technologies on the verge of obsolescence—comprise an in-depth study of the intricate relationship between form and function. The Bechers produced impeccable black and white photographs, using a large-format camera carefully positioned under overcast skies to record shadowless front and side elevation views of their subjects. Arranging these matched photographs in a grid, the Bechers produced what they called “typologies,” which grouped buildings by function, underscoring the similarities and differences between structures.

examples –

photo analysis –

technical- within the image there is a sharp focus which could mean that it was taken with a medium or large format camera for high detail, which is common in typological photography. The light is soft and diffused, which is probably due to overcast natural lighting, which helps avoid harsh shadows, plus gives equal prominence to all parts of the structure. the centred and frontal composition, shot straight on at eye level, from thus natural, objective framing it eliminates distraction and creates a catalogue like feel.

visual- within this image you can see there is a possible old wooden cooling tower or industrial ventilation structure, which is tall, cylindrical, which weathered textures plus some visible wear + decay. there is a string use of vertical + horizontal lines, which is symmetrical and this emphasizes the composition. the range of greys that you can see in thus image highlights the surface textures and structural forms over colour, leading the image a timeless, archival quality.

conceptual- the tower could speak to themes of industrial decay, memory + time, how once functional structures became relics.