Typologies of Industrial Buildings

by Bernd Becher, Hilla Becher

An encyclopedic collection of all known Becher industrial studies, arranged by building type.

Bernd and Hilla Becher's photography can be considered conceptual art, typological study, and topological documentation. Their work can be linked to the Neue Sachlichkeit movement of the 1920s and to such masters of German photography as Karl Blossfeldt, August Sander, and Albert Renger-Patzsch. Their photographs of industrial structures, taken over the course of forty years, are the most important body of work in independent objective photography. A keynote of their contributions to "industrial archaeology" has been their creation of typologies of different types of buildings; this book, which accompanies a major retrospective exhibition, collects all known Becher studies of industrial building types and presents them as a visual encyclopedia.Each chapter is devoted to a different structure--water towers, coal bunkers, winding towers, breakers (ore, coal, and stone), lime kilns, grain elevators, blast furnaces, steel mills, and factory facades. These are organized according to typologies, most of which are presented as tableaux or suites of about twelve images each. The book contains close to 2000 individual images. The accompanying text by Armin Zweite is an essential art historical consideration of the Bechers' work. This ultimate Becher book stands as a capstone to the Bechers' unique body of work.

Genres: Photography, Art

228 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2004

Reviews

[Bart · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to name a top 3 of favorite 20th century artists, chances are Bernd & Hilla Becher would be in it. Their work is simple, deceivingly so, as it has so many implications. It might not show, but a lot of work went into all these pictures: traveling across Europe and the USA, to places that aren’t meant for tourists, waiting for the right weather (fully clouded, so there won’t be any shadows in the photograph), finding the right spot to take the photo from always the same angle.

From 1959 to Bernhard’s death in 2007 the married couple have photographed thousands of structures – mainly of barns, water towers, coal tipples, cooling towers, grain elevators, coal bunkers, coke ovens, oil refineries, blast furnaces, gas tanks, storage silos, and warehouses. Their pictures might seem of interest only to those with an appetite for industrial architecture, but carefully considered, they provide a catalogue of human development, the inevitability of emerging patterns and creativity.

Each and every one of their books is great, but this one provides the best, broadest overview of their work.

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[Pearse Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I said before, this is like a video game. You are put into a series of environments with slightly changing variables each time you encounter stuff, so it's like a challenge and a journey, and it pairs REALLY WELL with Phillip Glass music. That shit was cranking and my whole experience with industrial facades changed. Anyway, this book had a 30 page introduction but I didn't read it because the book was due in the library soon and I had to run, but I'm sure it was engaging if I had started it. This book will definitely inspire some aliens, with all the water tower types and pipework and stuff sparking a lot of things in my brain. Aah! These photos were all taken with such accuracy to one another and framing of distance/scale. Thank you, Bechers.

[Eric Cartier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A staggering compilation of Bernd and Hilla Becher's achievement.