Water Towers

1970s–2010s

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

These Polaroids offer evidence of the Bechers’ methodical practice and thorough efforts to build a vast collection of industrial imagery. Once the artists had identified a site to explore, significant advance planning was required to seek permission in writing from company executives, meet with representatives at the mines, and secure access permits. Often, while on the road, they happened upon potentially interesting structures that they only had time to record in quick snapshots or sketches. These then became valuable notes for the next road trip.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Water Towers
Artist: Bernd and Hilla Becher (German, active 1959–2007)
Date: 1970s–2010s
Medium: Instant diffusion transfer prints (Polaroids)
Dimensions: 3 3/4 × 2 7/8 in. (9.5 × 7.3 cm), each
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: Estate Bernd & Hilla Becher, represented by Max Becher, courtesy Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur—Bernd & Hilla Becher Archive, Cologne.
Curatorial Department: Photographs