Bernd Becher, 1931–2007

Bernd and Hilla Becher, [Watertowers],  1967–80, printed 1980 (Sonnabend Gallery)

The Online Photographer has learned that photographer Bernd Becher has died. He passed away last Friday during a difficult operation at a hospital in Rostock, Germany. He was 75.

With his wife and collaborator Hilla Becher, Bernd Becher of Düsseldorf was perhaps the world's most well known and accomplished photographer of industrial structures. The couples' rigorous, stern method constituted a sort of comparative taxonomy of utilitarian structures, often presenting numerous examples the same type of structure together in the same work, always photographed in black and white, straight on, always in the same flat light under the same kind of leaden overcast or featureless white skies. The formal beauty of their investigations has long been appreciated, and has earned for Bernd and Hilla Becher widespread acclaim as art photographers. Their style never lost its interest, has not become stale, and remains instantly recognizable.

Bernd Becher was also influential as a teacher, numbering among his students Andreas Gursky, Candida Hofer, Thomas Struth, and Thomas Ruff.

Our sincere condolences to Frau Becher and to the artist's friends and family.

____________

Mike (thanks to Oren Grad, Christian Ahn, and Robert Phillips)

Comments

[Stan Banos]

Water towers- one of my favorite photo books of all time! A true celebration of the individual.

[dyathink]

another grievous loss for the photographic community..i also would like to convey my sympathy to Frau Becher. Their relationship had to be truly amazing to work so brilliantly on so many levels. Their contributions to the art world are legendary..He will be missed by all..

[Robert Phillips]

Thank you for passing that on, Mike. That is really sad news and I am very shocked. I was not immediately taken with their work (which was usually seen in introductions to books on other photographers) but the beauty of their work soon crept up on me.

The dedication is amazing - when you see works titled, for example, "Watertowers: 1967 - 1980" it really sinks in. Thirteen years spent seeking out new examples. Always taking photographs form the same aspect in the conditions. Truly inspiring.

They crop up so often in books that it sometimes seems as if they were almost singlehandedly responsible for the state of contemporary photography. You mention Gursky, but they also taught Candida Hofer, Thomas Struth, Thomas Ruff. Incredible influence and an incredible man. That their students' work is so successful and yet so different from their own is a fine testament to them as teachers.

How sad that he is gone.

Robert

[Christian Ahn]

Hi,

I live in Düsseldorf and was also very sad to hear about Bernd Becher's death. I have always been very impressed by the art of Bernd und Hilla Becher and liked their photographs of mineheads most. I saw their exibition in the Düsseldorf museum K 21 a few years ago.

Greetings

Christian Ahn

[Avelino de Almeida Filho]

Muito boas as fotos, um grande estímulo para mim, que faço um tipo de fotos com a natureza.