Hilla Becher

Hilla Becher (née Wobeser) is conceptual photographer born in Potsdam, East Germany,^[1] September 2, 1934. Becher is well known for her industrial photographs, with longtime collaborator Bernd Becher.^[2]

Life

Hilla Becher was exposed to photography early in life. Her mother attended Lette-Haus, a photography school for women, occasionally worked in a studio, retouching photographs. Her father was a high school language teacher, later drafted to World War II. During World War II, Hilla Becher and family moved throughout Germany, eventually ending up settling in Potsdam in 1945. Becher began photographing at the age of 12 with a 9x12cm plate-camera. Becher photographed her teachers in high school, printed and sold them at postcard size for the teachers. She was expelled from high school and became an intern for Walter Eichgrun, a working studio and commissioned photographer, in 1951, while studying photography at a vocational school and finishing her high school degree in Berlin. She spent several years working on commission with Eichgrun and did various solo assignments. She was offered a job, in Dusseldorf, Germany as an advertising photographer and around 1958 she enrolled into the Kunstakademie Dusseldorf under Walter Breker studying graphic and printing techniques. While enrolled in the academy she met future husband and collaborator, Bernd Becher.^[1] In 1963 Hilla and Bernd Becher had her first solo exhibition in Galerie Ruth Nohl in Siegen, Germany.^[3]

Work

Hilla photographed with an 8x10 large format camera and processed her negatives by hand. After 50 years of photography the Bechers developed a distinguishable stylistic aesthetic. Over the years Hilla and Bernd Becher have had conflicting photographic approaches towards their subjects. Hilla wanted the subject to be photographed with its surroundings, while Bernd wanted the subject to be the only focal point. Becher’s photographs are studies of industrial architecture and landscapes,^[1] the composition of the photograph forces the viewer to examine the structure.^[2] The photographs were captured during overcast skies early in the morning, to remove shadows and convey as many details as possible. When displayed the images are often grouped in a grid pattern by subject or as diptychs.^[4]

Many of Hilla and Bernd Becher’s works include: Framework Houses. 1959-1973^[5] Water Towers. 1963-1993 Fforchaman Colliery, Rhondda Valley, South Wales, United Kingdom 1966 Winding Towers. 1966-1997 Knutange, Lorraine, France. 1971 Hanover Mine 1/2/5, Bochum-Hordel, Ruhr Region…. 1973 Coal Mine, Bear Valley, Schuylkill County… 1974 Consolidation Mine, Gelsenkirchen, Ruhr Region Coal Tipple, Goodspring, Pennsylvania. 1975 Water Towers. 1988^[5]

Achievements

1966 received a British Council Grant, awarding of E360, photographing the mines in Nottinghamshire and South Wales^[1] 2002 awarded the Erasmus Prize contribution to the Kunstakademie Dusseldorf^[3]

Influences

Hilla is credited for aiding in the start and structuring of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf’s Photography department.^[1]

Many of the photographs taken by the Bechers have preserved the history of industrial Germany and many other countries though out Europe and North America. For example Zollern coalmines in Essen (Zollverein in Essen) have now become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[6]

Many artists under the Bechers influence include Candida Höffer, Thomas Struth, Jorge Sasse, Andreas Gursky, Axel Hutte, Simone Nieweg and Thomas Ruff.

The work of the Becher’s was repurposed in the work of Idris Khan.

References