Further Research, Bernd and Hilla Becher.

 To the developing my research knowledge and my ability to first my artist research I was choose a Bernd and Hilla Becher. They was married couples working together from early 60s previous age. They made a characteristic picture of architecture. Namely according to Lange(2004), they made pictures of: Winding Tower, Framework Houses, Minings, Water Towers, Blast Furnaces, Cooling Towers and many more de-industrialization objects. All that picture they doing in black and white. The set of the pictures (this same variety) usually they doing in vertical style, centralization object in the middle of image with always different landscape and background.

                            Fig.1. Water Tower, Verviers, Belgium, Bernd and Hilla Becher,1983

Rosenheim(2022) states they start using a camera 35 mm. 6 x 9 cm camera and 13 x 18cm  by German Plaubel in 1961. Large format camera guarantee the best quality of the picture where all details is visible.''Lighting was also an important means to enhance the legibility of a structure details. The bechers preferred working on slightly over-cast days in order to eliminate dramatic tonal contrast, harsh reflections, and distracting shadow patterns, while also ensuring the diffused, light gray sky that is a characteristic feature of their photographs.'' They using a natural light sometime use a light reflection from thunderclouds. That light can better expose a structure and texture of objects. To made their picture a large number of time they have to climb on the different objects to get the best view, perception, light and composition, keep that object front of it on the higher level. They create a Contemporary Minimalism and Conceptual art (Silverstein, n.d.).  Moreover they using a paper Agfa Record Rapid with gradations: soft, normal, hard and special, and also Ilford Multigrade Warmtone paper to their prints. Also the use a large size of gelatin silver prints (Getty, 2024). Their photographs they calling a ''Anonymous Sculptures''. The pence of set of images have different intention. For example in the Water Towers collections artist want describe outside world with the visible details (Lange,2004). For artist constitution of object have important meaning. Water Towers looks very majestic and presenting on the photography don't looks like from previous age, looks like complicated buildings from concrete and steel standing with a proud between industry environmental. All that objects from previous age have interesting story to tell but always looks monumentally on the famous Bechers photographs.

                                                       Fig.2.  Coal Tipples, 1974-78

Bechers photographs is recognizable on the all word. They save industrial object from past time on the pictures using a less important background affirmatively that is unnecessary because that form have all ready interesting shape and construction. Travelling From Europe to the North America hey looking for places where industry's have important factors in live and before de-industrialization was the most significant for workers. All that object is really old, however on the presenting photographs their is exist like the monumental sculptures(Getty, 2024).

 

                                                      Fig.3. Winding Towers, 1966-97

Additionally Framework Houses photography by Bechers have significant factor for visualisation objects from the precious industries age. Photographing the Framework Houses change perception and view how people looks on that object and give new type of structure houses. 

                                       Fig.4 Freudenberg, Bernd and Hilla Becher,1969

From the beginning according to the Steiner (2018) ''Framework Houses''Siegen in Germany, builds immigrant which one coming there to work in mines and blast furnaces purpose. Because they need wood to the iron production decide to use only wood to the main part of the construction, that why that houses have interesting textures and construction recognizable in all the world. Bachers take it a photograph using a tripod, that object , placing it in the middle and using a day light on the grey cloudless sky to achieved a contrast between house construction and brighter part of picture. ''Any house the photographers could clearly isolate and frame without distortion or obstacles was a potential subject''. ''They depend on the same mirroric logic that links Fosse “Grenay” no. 1 or Zeche “Graf Bismarck” to the view camera the Bechers used to document these structures... also is taken away from the lens for an exposure lasting fifteen to twenty seconds.'' what was shock (Steiner,2018). Photographic object usually take all space in image to leave only some for background and landscape.  

 

Additionally definitely I learn from that artist how to make a good picture. First it all light, that is the major think what I have to included  and achieved in my picture Secondly in architectural pictures the best solution to avoid a perspective of distortion will be climb to the higher position (upper floor opposite buildings.). Achieve a different level of the object which one I want photographing. Help me understand a ''minimalism'' and how to create that, also how background going on the second plan (unimportant, less important). Moreover I will be try working with unfavourable weather conditions, that why because we have a hard season about weather and sun. In artist picture I can see they use a difficult weather conditions for their goals.


References:

Lange, S. (2004) Bernd & Hilla Becher: Basic forms of industrial buildings. Munich, Germany: Schirmer/Mosel. pp.5-18.

Rosenheim, Jeff L, et al. Bernd & Hilla Becher. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 11 July 2022. pp. 8-245. 

Silverstein, B. (n.d.). Bernd and Hilla Becher. [online] Bruce Silverstein. Available at: https://brucesilverstein.com/artists/199-bernd-and-hilla-becher/.

Getty (2024) Bernd & Hilla Becher. Available at: https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/group/103KGG (Accessed: 16 April 2024).  

Image References: 

Fig.1 Rosenheim, Jeff L, et al. Bernd & Hilla Becher. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 11 July 2022. p.171. 

Fig.2 Rosenheim, Jeff L, et al. Bernd & Hilla Becher. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 11 July 2022 p.184

Fig.3 Rosenheim, Jeff L, et al. Bernd & Hilla Becher. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 11 July 2022 p.186

Fig.4 Steiner, S. (2018). Prostheses or Technical Extensions: Rereading the Work of Bernd and Hilla Becher. Hybrid Practices: Art in Collaboration with Science and Technology. [online] Available at: https://www.academia.edu/42000225/Prostheses_or_Technical_Extensions_Rereading_the_Work_of_Bernd_and_Hilla_Becher [Accessed 27 Apr. 2024].

   

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