The german photographer bernd becher, who has died at the age of 75 from complications during heart surgery, was famous for the vast collection of. The bechers 224 photographs of watertowers comprise a. His local guides were the dusseldorfbased artist duo of bernd and hilla becher, and konrad fischer, in whose dusseldorf gallery smithson was scheduled to exhibit. Although their work is widely collected by american dealers and institutions and shown in new york galleries, this is the first time that it has been published in book form in the united states. Almost everything they photograph is eventually demolished. For nearly five decades, the couple systematically photographed individual industrial structureswater towers, blast furnaces, grain elevators, framework. They won the erasmus prize in 2002 and hasselblad award in 2004 for their work and roles as photography.
Apr 06, 2020 hilla, born hilla wobeser, and bernd, short for bernhard, were born in germany in the 1930s, growing up under the shadow of world war ii. Move over spine to view book cover, click to see details. Bernd and hilla bechers legacy is substantial, with a wide range of artists and photographers having been shaped by their emphasis on objectivity, their approach to changing environments and their development of typology as a means of organizing images. I must confess that i knew nothing of bernd and hilla becher until i followed your link thanks for that. Bernd becher german, 19312007 and hilla becher german, 19342015 are best known for their photographs of industrial archetypes, such as water towers, pitheads, and coal bunkers. Photographs by bernd and hilla becher of industrial structures amid their natural surroundings. John, becher, bernd, becher, hilla blackandwhite photography blast furnaces blossfeldt, karl, boltanski, christian, coal mines and mining cohen, lynne, cooling towers europe fiskin, judy fleischer. First title of the famous becher serie by schirmer. View bernd and hilla bechers 1,246 artworks on artnet. Hilla, born hilla wobeser, and bernd, short for bernhard, were born in germany in the 1930s, growing up under the shadow of world war ii. Bernd becher rare books and first editions at bauman rare. Bernd and hilla becher 19312007, 19342015 began taking photographs of framework houses in siegens industrial region early on in their artistic career. Anyway the audience which is interested in art would be the most openminded and willing to think about it.
Documenting coal mines, oil refineries, silos, and water towers in a starkly uniform blackandwhite format, they created typologies of vernacular architectural types. Jul 20, 2007 the german photographer bernd becher, who has died at the age of 75 from complications during heart surgery, was famous for the vast collection of images of industrial structures he created with. Bernd and hilla becher have collaborated since 1959. This first edition by hilla becher, bernd becher is available at bauman rare books. Books by bernd becher author of basic forms of industrial. Life and work, with 53 duotone plates and more than 200 additional illustrations, is the first book to delve deeply into the sources and vision behind the evocative and melancholy beauty of the bechers work. Bernd becher 19312007 and hilla becher 19342015 worked together as photographers beginning in 1959. Both bernd and hilla were born at a time 1931 and 1934 respectively where as teenagers they lived within a devastated post war germany. Founders of the internationally acclaimed becher class at the dusseldorf art academy, they have received numerous awards, including the golden lion at the 1990 venice biennale and the 2002 erasmus award. The work of german photographers bernd and hilla becher, who married in 1961 and worked as a collaborative pair until bernds death in 2007, reflects their interest in the vanishing industrial landscapes of europe and america.
Bernd and hilla becher spent their career documenting industrial structures across the western world, creating a form of photography arranged by type that, through repetition, encourages viewers to engage deeply with the formal qualities of the subject matter. During their 40year career, bernd and hilla becher created their. Zeche concordia, oberhausen 1967, germany ive heard a lot about the industrial photography of bernd and hilla becher over the years, but from the work that id seen, i just couldnt get excited about it. Hilla and bernd bechers photographs turned industrial. I find their work intriguingit makes me feel that i would have wanted to do exactly the same thing if i had been born in the forties and had been able to see more of the industry of the north west of england. In the mid1970s, they taught photography at the kunstakademie dusseldorf, in germany, and their students, who adapted the style of the bechers, became known. Bernd and hilla becher photography, bio, ideas theartstory. Anonyme skulpturen first edition hilla becher bauman. As the founders of what has come to be known as the becher school or the dusseldorf school they influenced generations of documentary photographers and artists.
Through the years, their extensive documentation of industrial landscapes has taken them outside of germany to france, england, scotland, wales, holland, and the united states. August 20, 1931 june 22, 2007, and hilla becher, nee wobeser september 2, 1934 october 10, 2015, were german conceptual artists and photographers working as a collaborative duo. Find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Founders of the internationally acclaimed becher class at the dusseldorf art academy, they have received numerous awards, including the golden lion at the. Bernd becher and hilla becher, german photographers known for their straightforward blackandwhite images of types of industrial buildings. Martin parr and bernd and hilla becher remember a lost. Bernd and hilla becher s almost fiftyyear collaboration constitutes the most important project in objective and conceptual photography today. Their work provides us with a rare opportunity to see how we see. First edition of the bechers first major book, a meditation on identity and difference in technical buildings chosen for their very anonymity, with 194 blackandwhite photogravure plates. Mar 31, 2017 open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Bernd and hilla bechers lifetime project of documenting the indust. Bernd and hilla becher have profoundly influenced the international photography world over the past several decades. Very early becher book in the scarce english version.
Discover book depositorys huge selection of bernd becher books online. Framework houses, their first book, was first published in 1977 and quickly went out of print. The german artist, one half of one of the most important photographic duos in modern times, was taking part in paris photo platform, a series of talks and discussions organised by momas photography curator roxana marcoci, and helping oversee her twopart exhibition at the grand palais, covering the lifetime of work she undertook. Produced between 1958 and 1974, this body of work proved the value of the consistent depiction of a type of object in socalled typologies. Grain elevators by bernd becher, hilla becher, hardcover. Architecture had a magnetic appeal to both of them from an early age. That same year, he met hilla wobeser, a trained photographer who had defected.
Industrial landscapes by bernd becher, hilla becher. It will be indispensable both as a reference for students of postwar german photography and as a guide for. Probably it is situated in between the established categories. Basic forms english and german edition 9783829606943. Bernd and hilla becher were two german photographers whose systematic documentation of their countrys industrial landscape has served as the basis for an entire school of contemporary photography. She was one half of a photography duo with her husband bernd becher. This ultimate becher book stands as a capstone to the bechers unique body of work. Identify what you consider to be the legacy of the artist bernd and hilla becher for the importance of the photographic image. Jul 11, 2007 since the passing of bernd becher on friday june 22nd 2007, i thought it appropriate to mention the book bernd and hilla becher. Water towers by bernd becher, hilla becher, hardcover. Industrial landscapes the mit press bernd becher, hilla becher on. Analysis and synthesis were not to be accomplished solely in a precise individual image but in. The seeds of european photographys future becher, bernd and hilla.
Stonework and lime kilns bernd and hilla becher aperture. The question if this is a work of art or not is not very interesting for us. An elegant new edition of bernd and hilla bechers classic blackandwhite photographic study of industrial buildings. Martin parr and bernd and hilla becher remember a lost wales as part of a major photography launch at national museum cardiff, wales last world of industry is movingly resurrected, and the. Although their work is widely collected by american dealers and institutions and shown in new york galleries, this is the first time that it has. Hilla and bernd becher began their collaborative enterprise in 1957, when they did a study of workers houses in their native germany. Over the course of nearly five decades, bernd and hilla becher documented almost every type of industrial architecturefrom water towers and steel mills to gas tanks and grain silosin europe and the united states.
While mentoring under photographer walter eichgrun in potsdam, hillas first subjects were local buildings. In december 1968, the american artist robert smiths. Hilla becher met bernd becher at the kunskatademie dusseldorf and first collaborated in 1959, while working as freelance photographers. Veja mais ideias sobre fotos, arquitetura industrial, arquitetura. Bernd bechers most popular book is basic forms of industrial buildings. Their lifelong commitment has been the systematic documentation of industrial buildings, including water towers and cooling towers, blast furnaces, coal mines and steel mines, gas tanks, and grain elevators. Oct 15, 2015 in june 1966, the german artist hilla becher, who has died aged 81, set off, together with her husband bernd and their twoyearold son max, to south wales in a vw camper, towing an old caravan. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. With this volume, grain elevators join the list of building types documented by the bechers in their book length studies. For the last thirty years, the artists have examined the dilapidated industrial architecture of europe and north america, from water towers and blast furnaces to the surrounding workers houses. As both artists and teachers, bernd and hilla becher are among the most important figures in postwar german photography. In december 1968, the american artist robert smithson embarked on a field trip to the huge industrial complex in the ruhr district of germany.
Bernd becher and hilla becher german photographers britannica. Stonework and lime kilns, by bernd and hilla becher, is a photographic testament to the industrial revolution and mucholder manufacturing traditions. Bernhard bernd becher, and hilla becher, nee wobeser, were german conceptual artists and photographers working as a collaborative duo. These photographs of grain elevators in america, germany, belgium, and france are a major addition to the bechers ongoing documentation of the vanishing buildings that once defined the industrial landscape of europe and america. They are best known for their extensive series of photographic images, or typologies, of industrial buildings and structures, often organised in grids. Anyway the audience which is interested in art would. Bernd and hilla becher framework houses of the siegen. The modern photographer is the architects greatest publicist. Bernd and hilla becher biography bernd and hilla becher on. Hilla becher put in a rare appearance at paris photo last week.
Hilla and bernd bechers cool, objective photographs of industrial structures have earned them a special position in international photography. Bernd and hilla becher wall street international magazine. Bernd becher retired as professor at the dusseldorf academy of art in 1999. Founded in 1997, has become a leading book price comparison site. Bernd and hilla becher biography bernd and hilla becher. Bernd becher and hilla becher 2000 a new edition of the first book by photographers bernd and hilla becher, featuring framework houses of the siegen region of germany. The german artist, one half of one of the most important photographic duos in modern. Hilla becher was a german artist born in 1931 in siegen, germany. For forty years, they photographed disappearing industrial architecture around europe and north america. Their unique genre, which falls somewhere between topological documentation and conceptual art, is in line with the aesthetics of such earlytwentiethcentury masters of german photography as karl blossfeldt, germaine krull, albert rengerpatzsch, and august sander. Bernd and hilla becher artist bio and art for sale. Hilla becher interviewed at paris photo photography. Reading the introduction to this remarkable book i came across the fact that bern and hilla becher are continuing the german tradition of companies.
Bernd becher and hilla becher german photographers. Foreword by bernd and hilla becher and by bernhard kerber. Bernd becher has 24 books on goodreads with 506 ratings. Discover book depositorys huge selection of hilla becher books online. Bernd e hilla becher anonymous sculptures, 1959 1972 this week sara from brown paper bag takes us to the german landscape through the eyes of photographer duo bernd and hilla becher. Thus i acquired this book, basic forms of industrial buildings, published by schrimermosel verlag in conjunction with the bechers hasselblad.