Renowned German artists Bernd and Hilla Becher (1931-2007; 1934-2015) changed the course of late twentieth-century photography. Using a large-format view camera, the Bechers focused on a single subject: disappearing industrial architecture of Western Europe and North America. They recorded blast furnaces, winding towers, grain silos, cooling towers, and gas tanks. Their standardized photographic practice allowed for comparative analyses of structures which they exhibited in grids of [between] four and thirty photographs. They would describe these formal arrangements as “typologies” and the buildings themselves as “anonymous sculpture[s].”
The Becher’s objective style recalls nineteenth-and early twentieth-century precedents but also resonated with a serial approach of contemporary Minimalism and Conceptual art. Their works also challenge the gap between documentary and fine-art photography.
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Bernd and Hilla BecherWater Towers, 1959-1969Fifteen gelatin silver prints, printed c. 1970sImages: Each 9 1/2 x 6 1/2 in (24.1 by 16.5 cm)
Overall: 29 1/4 x 34 1/4 in (74.3 by 87 cm)
Frame: 37 1/2 x 41 3/4 in (95.3 by 106 cm) -
Bernd and Hilla BecherFördertürme (Winding Towers), 1960s to no later than 1975Four ferrotyped gelatin silver prints, mounted on cardboard, printed c. 1960s to no later than 197532 x 24 in (81.1 x 61 cm)
Each image: 16 x 12 in
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Bernd and Hilla BecherCooling towers Belgium, France, Luxembourg, 1967-1971Nine gelatin silver prints mounted to single board9 1/4 x 7 3/8 in (23.5 x 18.9 cm)
Each image: 2 1/2 x 2 in (6.6 x 5.1 cm)
Mount: 9 1/4 x 7 3/8 in (23.5 x 18.9 cm) -
Bernd and Hilla BecherCoke Plant Flemalle, Liege; Coke Plant, Emscher-Lippe, Dorsten, Ruhr; Coke Plant, Zeche Ewald Fortsetzung Recklinghausen, Ruhr, 1980Gelatin silver print triptych, each mounted to board, printed c. 198016 x 12 1/8 in (40.6 x 30.8 cm)
Mount: 20 x 16 in
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20th Anniversary Exhibition
REWIND 16 Dec 2021 - 19 Feb 2022 Gallery ExhibitionsBruce Silverstein Gallery is pleased to announce REWIND, a celebration of our 20th anniversary. Featuring works selected from over one hundred exhibitions, REWIND is an opportunity to revisit the gallery's...Read more -
August Sander / Bernd and Hilla Becher
A Dialogue 1 May - 7 Jun 2014 Gallery ExhibitionsBruce Silverstein in collaboration with Sonnabend Gallery is pleased to present August Sander / Bernd and Hilla Becher: A Dialogue, curated by Hilla Becher.Read more
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The Armory Show
Javitz Center, 429 11TH AVE, NEW YORK CITY 7 - 10 Sep 2023BRUCE SILVERSTEIN GALLERY IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE ARMORY SHOW 2023 AT THE JAVITS CENTER. BOOTH #338 | JAVITS CENTER, 429 11TH...Read more -
The Photography Show Presented by AIPAD
415 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10016 31 Mar - 2 Apr 2023From March 31 - April 2, 2023, Bruce Silverstein Gallery will be exhibiting at The Photography Show presented by AIPAD in Booth # 108; showcasing...Read more -
Frieze Masters
13 - 17 Oct 2021For the tenth anniversary of Frieze Masters, Bruce Silverstein Gallery is pleased to present Series and Sequence , an exhibition featuring works spanning the nearly...Read more -
The Armory Show
8 - 11 Mar 2018Featured Artists: Bernd & Hilla Becher, Constantin Brâncuși, Todd Hido, André Kertész, Alfred Leslie, Louise Nevelson, Man Ray, Gerhard Richter, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Aaron...Read more