Bernhardd and Hilla Becher are two German photographers born in 1931-2007 and 1934-present respectively. They are well known for photographing old industrial buildings. The pictures were taken from an objective point of view always on overcast days so as not to detract from the form of the building and to present the building in as clear a manner as possible. The Bechers used the term typologies to describe the way these images were displayed, allowing the viewer to compare the design of these functional buildings. An example of their method of displaying and photographing these typologies can be seen above.

It would appear to me that the Becher’s were trying to document a period in industrial history showing how the function of a building dictates the similarity in the design of these buildings and how the use of a building leads to its shape as much as an architects individual taste. The starkness of the imagery does not make them uninteresting, although working within such limits must have taken a great deal of discipline especially over such a large period of time. (5 decades). It is the form of a building that is the most important part of the work and this comparison with other buildings of the same function.

The Bechers have often been aligned with conceptual art rather than pure photography. Their method of display and capture is conceptual in nature and where this idea of the work being more ‘conceptual art’ than photography comes from. For me I can appreciate these images for the information they give the viewer and the structure and shape of these typographies as well as the uniform lighting and methods used in their capture. Also being an engineer myself this uniformity of design for a function makes sense from a functional point of view, however if you look at the images you can see the architects individual stamp on these buildings adds to the beauty of the manmade world around us.

Bibliography -

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/bernd-becher-and-hilla-becher-718

http://www.americanphotomag.com/article/2011/11/instant-expert-bernd-and-hilla-becher