Hilla and Bernd Becher’s work is one of my favorites in the medium and has greatly influenced many of my photography projects. Although a little dated, it is very relevant to the focus of this class, especially when it comes to the discussion of typology.
Working as a duo, the couple travelled around Germany (and later around the world) to photograph the abandoned industrial architectures after the war. They used a large-format camera to photograph these buildings in an objective, scientific, and deadpan manor. Their photographs have almost identical composition and are often organized in grids; they only take photos on overcast days to avoid the effect of lighting. Their work grouped together similar architectures and seem to highlight the distillation of the similarities of the design that those structures share.
I found their process and aesthetic to be profoundly interesting. The neutral, indifferent attitude in their documentation does exceptionally well with the subject of their project — the cold, indifferent industrial structures that are unlike the typical subjects in the architecture photography that came before them.
(p.s. I remember seeing clips from Koyaanisqatsi playing at the beginning of last class. Samsara, which is also by Ron Fricke, is actually one of my favorite documentaries and could absolutely be another project that’s relevant to this class.)