Lauren St. John 
Leanne Kawahigashi 
Amy Beth Castleberry 
Brandy Rains 
Evan Marks 
Nil Santana Bernd & Hilla Becher
Bernd and Hilla Becher were a German photographer team and a married couple, best- known for their collection of industrial building images examining the similarities and differences in structure and appearance.
Bernd (1931 – 2007) and Hilla (b. 1934) Becher first met at the Düsseldorf Academy. Both were studying painting at the time and in 1961, the two were married. They first collaborated on photographing and documenting the disappearing German industrial architecture in 1959, and had their first Gallery exhibition in 1963 at the Galerie Ruth Nohl in Siegen. They were fascinated by the similar shapes in which certain buildings were designed. In addition, they were intrigued by the fact that so many of these industrial buildings seemed to have been built with a great deal of attention toward design. Together, the Bechers went out with a large format camera and photographed these buildings from a number of different angles, but always with a straightforward “objective” point of view. The images of structures with similar functions were then displayed side by side to invite viewers to compare their forms and designs. These structures included barns, water towers, storage silos, and warehouses.
The Bechers also photographed outside of Germany, including buildings from the United States and other areas of Europe. Bernd taught at the Düsseldorf Art Academy and influenced students that later made a name for themselves in the photography industry. Former students of Bernd’s included Andreas Gursky, Thomas Ruff, and Candida Höfer.
Evan Marks
7:53 pm, 05.20.12
I think these images are really unique and interesting because they are designed to be viewed as a collection. The individual images are interesting enough, but hardly seem to stand out. But as a collective, the viewer sees the similarities between the hundreds of different buildings, and is able to fully appreciate Bernd and Hilla’s work.
On an aside, they have a really interesting website that caters precisely to that idea, the viewer is able to flip through image after image, though the placement and size of the images stay stable.
Leanne Kawahigashi
9:56 pm, 05.20.12
I really enjoy these images. Who would of thought that a collection of geometric buildings would be so appealing to the eye? I love the simplicity of these. Photographs don’t have to portray an action or something extremely interesting to be “good”. These are a perfect example. The images are centered, and have a connection to each other. They are just so dang simple! I love it!