Typologies of Industrial Buildings | 
 enlarge | Authors: Bernd Becher, Hilla Becher
Publisher: The MIT Press
Category: Book
List Price: $78.00
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Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 242118
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4.8
Dimensions (in): 11.8 x 11.7 x 1
ISBN: 0262025655
Dewey Decimal Number: 779.40922
EAN: 9780262025652
ASIN: 0262025655
Publication Date: March 1, 2004
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Product Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Industrial strength dedication May 22, 2008
Robin Benson
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Reading the introduction to this remarkable book I came across the fact that Bern and Hilla Becher are continuing the German tradition of companies photographing their industrial premises. Alfred Krupp, about 1860, was the first to have his own photographer and a printing plant to produce promotional material. Other companies followed and printed ever more lavish photo books about their plants.
The Bechers though have pursued, since 1957, a unique photographic objective in attempting to record as much of the industrial landscape as possible but in a way that is personal to them. Their head on, flat perspective and grey sky backgrounds just seem so right as you turn the pages. I think this is the only book to show so many of their photos: just over 1500. They are divided into 130 Plates with between six and thirty photos to a Plate though they are mostly fifteen throughout the book. The structure sequence is water towers, cooling towers, gas tanks, colliery winding towers, preparation plants, gravel plants, lime kilns, grain elevators, coal bunkers, blast furnaces, details (close-ups) and industrial facades. Winding towers has thirty Plates with over four hundred photos. The briefest of captions locate the place, country and the photo date.
Armin Zweite writes a thirty page introduction (translated from German which makes it seem overly complex) but full of interesting insights about the Bechers work, style origins and their place in contemporary photography. The book is beautifully produced as one would expect from the German publishers Schirmer (MIT have the English language rights) with quality paper and printing in a 200 screen.
Because Typologies contains so many works taken by these two remarkable photographers I think it is way above the usual art monograph.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
 Typologies of Industrial Buildings November 13, 2006
Nicholas (New Zealand)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Fabulous photos arranged in logical and pleasing order. Captions are limited to location only. I would have enjoyed a little more explanation of the function of the building types shown. However, as the blurb says "Bernd and Hilla Becher's photography can be considered conceptual art, typological study, and topological documentation."
The text is limited to the Bechers' approach to their photographic art and is a little dense and esoteric for the average reader. Definitely for those who wish to understand the Bechers' place in the art world.
I'll keep it for the wonderful pictures!
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