Bernd and Hiller Becher
1. How did they first meet?
they had the same interests, They began collaborating together in 1959 after meeting at the KunstAkademie Düsseldorf in 1957. Bernd originally studied painting and then typography, whereas Hilla had trained as a commercial photographer. After two years collaborating together, they married.
2. What inspired them to begin to record images of Germany’s industrial landscape?
the reason why they focused on industrial landscapes is because they wanted to preserve this area because it was getting demolished. a large former camera is what they used so they had to find the perfect photo as the film was expensive
3. How did the Bechers explain the concept of Typology?
It was her husband that came up with the concept. They waited for the correct light. they would wait for cloudy days so they can isolate the building with the light. Bernd and Hilla Becher revolutionized the world of photography with their unique approach to capturing industrial structures. The German couple devoted their lives to documenting the fading remnants of industrial architecture across Europe and North America. Their methodical approach to photographing and categorizing industrial buildings created a new genre known as “industrial typologies” and solidified their position as masters in the field of conceptual art photography. Their photographs, characterized by a stark, objective style, present these utilitarian structures as both historical artefacts and objects of aesthetic appreciation.
4. Which artists/ photographers inspired them to produce typology images?
Karl Blossfeldt inspired them. they spoke about him multiple times. carl was an art teacher in school at Germany and he took photos of plants, he started photography so his students have something to draw. they wanted to be as close to reality as possible with no romanticism evolved.
Angust Sander
5. What is the legacy of the Bechers and their work?
Since the 1960s, the Bechers have focused exclusively on industrial structures that are typically overlooked. Their photographs focus the audience’s vision on buildings and machinery from which people typically look away, demanding serious consideration. Their consistent focus on presenting structures associated with the coal and steel industries leads the viewer to reconsider their aesthetic preferences and encourages ongoing interest in industrial form.
Bernd and Hilla Becher’s work aspires toward objective documentation, aiming for images without subjectivity. Their photographs reacted against the prevailing mid-20th-century trend toward images in which the subject of a photograph is transformed by artistic elements such as soft focus, atmospheric lighting, or creative perspective. The Bechers photographed all structures in the same way, from a direct angle with a low horizon against a grey sky that minimized shadows, cropping each image so that the subject filled the frame.
Dusseldorf School of Photography