The present photographic work "Post-War Houses, Ruhr Area, Germany" from 1988 is conceived as a triptych and shows buildings in the Ruhr area, one of the most industrially characterised areas of Germany.
The photographs reflect an important era in German history. After the Second World War, Germany lay in ruins and reconstruction was an enormous challenge. The Ruhr region, known for its coal and steel industry, played a central role in the post-war economic miracle. The architecture of this era, often characterised by simple, functional designs, reflects the pragmatism and necessity of reconstruction.
The Bechers take a typological approach to their motifs, documenting similar objects in a systematic and comparative way with their large-format camera.
The differences and similarities between the individual buildings are clearly emphasised through the uniform perspective and lighting. This approach enables the viewer not only to recognise the architectural details, but also to undertake a kind of visual cataloguing.
The Bechers preferred to photograph under overcast skies in order to minimise shadows and depict the structures of the buildings clearly and in great detail. This lends the photographs a matter-of-fact sobriety that is typical of the artist couple's work.
The aesthetic quality of Bernd and Hilla Becher's works lies in their precise composition and clarity of depiction. Most of the motifs they chose for their photographs, such as silos, water towers and industrial plants, are not magnificent monuments, but simple, functional buildings. Nevertheless, the Bechers succeed in lending these buildings a special dignity and significance. The austere, frontal view and the uniform lighting allow the architecture to come to the foreground and enable an undistorted view. Through their work, the artist couple preserved architecture that was often overlooked or demolished in the course of economic change and modernisation. Their photographs therefore serve not only as artistic works, but also as important historical documents.
The photographic work of Bernd and Hilla Becher has had a lasting influence on photography and the art world. Their systematic and objective approach served as inspiration for many artists and photographers. Particularly noteworthy is their influence on the Düsseldorf School of Photography, whose students such as Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth and Candida Höfer further developed the Bechers' principles.
