NOT SOLD (BIDDING OVER)
0.00USD+ applicable fees & taxes.
This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2003 May 15 @ 19:00UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT
BERND & HILLA BECHER
(b. 1931 and 1934)
WATER TOWERS
(i) ST. QUENTIN, ASINE, F 1987
(ii) RECKLINGHAUSEN, D 1978
(iii) BRAINE-LE-COMTE, B 1986
(iv) GOOLE YORKSHIRE, GB 1997
(v) CONNANTRE, MARNE, F 1972
(vi) BERKA/WIPPER THUERINGEN, D 1995
(vii) WATERLOO, B 1993
(viii) AYWAILLE/LIÈGE, B 1980
each signed, titled, numbered of five and
dated on the reverse
set of eight black and white photographs
23 x 193/4 in. (58.4 x 50.2 cm) each
executed 1972-1995
each work is from an edition of five
ESTIMATE: $40,000-60,000
PROVENANCE
Sonnabend Gallery, NEW YORK
LITERATURE
K. Bussmann, BERND & HILLA BECHER: TYPOLOGIEN, TYPOLOGIES, MUNICH, 1999, n.p. (comparative literature; four of the eight images illustrated in variant water tower typologies)
R. Banham and W. Naef, WATER TOWERS: BERND AND HILLA BECHER, MASSACHUSETTS, 1988, pls. 62, 73, 82, 193 and 207 (prints taken before 1988 illustrated individually)
B. and H. Becher, ANONYME SKULPTUREN: A TYPOLOGY OF TECHNICAL CONSTRUCTIONS, NEW YORK, WITTENBORN, 1970, n.p. (comparative literature; water towers photographed during or before 1970)
With no intention of joining a specific art movement, the Bechers' "anonymous sculptures" were immediately discovered and embraced by the avant-garde art community of the 1960s. Bernd and Hilla Becher (formerly Hilla Wobeser) simply shared a passion and formed a life collaboration, mutually focused on documenting elements of the disappearing industrial landscape. The industrial utility of these structural elements, which was decreasing rapidly in a time of swift technological advancement, blinded most from the beauty of their forms. The Bechers wanted to awaken public sight, as they traveled throughout Europe and the United States, methodically documenting industrial structures, categorized into "typologies" by their functional criteria. Since the early 1960s, the Bechers have been obsessively seeking out these endangered structures, including blast furnaces, storehouses, mineheads, gas tanks, grain elevators and water towers, and cataloguing them photographically, always maintaining their formulaic method. The "typologies" are the varying arrangements of their photographs of functionally common structures. It is the visual power of these "families" that awakens the viewer to the beauty of these structures, as they allow us to see their static commonality, as well as their ornamental and material diversity.
The Bechers' "template" method has involved the same routine over the 40 years they have been working together. To maintain the neutrality and purity of their aesthetic, their process involves great patience, as it is dependent on weather conditions, seasons, time of day and gaining approved access to industrial sites. The Bechers approached these nine water towers as they do all their subjects, with ladders and scaffolding that would allow them a mid-elevation viewpoint, in order to create a composition free of vertical distortion. They would have waited for that perfect moment when cloud cover was evenly diffused, so that no modeling or dramatic shadow would create any sense of theatricality. Their work is quite apparently influenced by Karl Blossfeldt's elegant and controlled plant studies and Renger-Patzsch's photographic interest in industry and the machine. The controlled, systematic approach of their work is reflective of August Sander's comparative cataloguing of the "People of the 20th Century." Eugene Atget most definitely shared a similar vision, as he systemically traveled through Paris and environs, obsessively documenting those publicly overlooked architectural elements, such as door knockers, fireplaces, storefronts and banisters, to preserve them for posterity.
The Bechers' water tower documents celebrate the monumental structures, as if they were documenting the elegant verticality of great cathedrals. Through these precise compositions, the viewer is able to understand the sculptural quality of the varying structures and the great power that they store in their tanks. These tanks, often structured well above treeline, hold back water whose pressure has huge gravitational energy. The top-heavy structures seem to defy physics and do so by the mastered use of materials such as steel, concrete, wood or stone. Their tanks hold water that provided life to the surrounding industrial landscape and to the nearby citizens. The Bechers successfully convey these structures as maintainers of life, doomed to the inevitable fate of replacement by industry that is more current. This is an early family of water towers mounted together by the Bechers. These nine towers are similar in functional concept, but they represent an aesthetically diverse cross-section. Their later typologies are often groupings of even more disparate designs and often each photograph is printed larger and framed individually, but displayed together.
Bernd and Hilla Becher, through Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf, trained many successful contemporary photographers, including Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Thomas Ruff and Candida Höfer.
Auction Location:
United States
Previewing Details:
Saturday May 3, 2003 10am to 5pm, Sunday May 4, 2003 1pm to 5pm, Monday May 5, 2003 10am to 5pm, Tuesday May 6, 2003 10am to 5pm, Wednesday May 7, 2003 10am to 5pm, Thursday May 8, 2003 10am to 5pm, Friday May 9, 2003 10am to 5pm, Saturday May 10, 2003 10am to 5pm, Sunday May 11, 2003 1pm to 5pm, Monday May 12, 2003 10am to 5pm, Tuesday May 13, 2003 10am to 5pm, Wednesday May 14, 2003 10am to 5pm, Thursday May 15, 2003 10am to 2pm
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
No Info Available
Payment Details:
No Info Available
Conditions of sale applicable to buyers
1 BUYERS PREMIUM WILL BE CHARGED AT 15% ON THE FIRST CHF 70,000 OF THE HAMMER PRICE OF EACH LOT, AND AT 10% THEREAFTER. FOR LOTS MARKED WITH THE SYMBOL () IN THE CATALOGUE, THE BUYER HAS TO PAY SWISS VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) AT 7.6% ONLY ON THE BUYERS PREMIUM, NOT ON THE HAMMER PRICE. FOR LOTS WITHOUT THE SYMBOL (), VAT OF 7.6% IS APPLICABLE ON THE HAMMER PRICE AND THE BUYERS PREMIUM. This VAT is refundable to non-Swiss resident buyers who, within 30 days following the sale, present to PHILLIPS, de PURY & LUXEMBOURG LIMITED (hereinafter PHILLIPS) the export declaration, duly stamped by Swiss customs, proving that the goods have left Switzerland. Non-stamped declarations are invalid.
2 Every lot is sold with all faults and errors of description and PHILLIPS disclaim, for themselves and for the vendors, all responsibility, in particular for authenticity, age, origin, condition or quality. Any statement, whether contained in the catalogue or expressed orally, is considered a statement of opinion only and not a statement of fact. PHILLIPS GIVES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES. Purchasers are deemed to have satisfied themselves on authenticity, condition, etc., before bidding.
3 The Auctioneer has absolute discretion to divide any lot, to combine two or more lots, to withdraw any lots, to refuse bids, and to regulate the bidding. He may bid on the vendor’s behalf for all goods which are being offered subject to a reserve or at the Auctioneer’s discretion.
4 The highest bidder shall be the buyer. In case of disagreement the lot or lots will immediately be reoffered by the Auctioneer. No claim will be accepted once the adjudication has been given.
5 When the reserve price has not been reached, the lot will be passed at the fall of the hammer.
6 Bids from clients unknown to PHILLIPS, the Auctioneer, or the Stadtammann of Zurich might not be accepted unless accompanied by a full cash deposit, or a bank reference, which must arrive in good time to be taken up before the sale at PHILLIPS, Kreuzstrasse 54, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland. The Auctioneer retains full authority to refuse these bids.
7 PHILLIPS requires that all prospective buyers use a bidding number in place of their names.
8 Persons not present at the sale may leave their bids with the Auctioneer or the Stadtammann of Zurich. The prices on these bidding forms will be treated as maximum hammer price, excluding premium or taxes. Alterations to these forms can only be accepted in writing up to the evening preceding the sale.
9 Payment can be made in cash, by bank cheque or by wire transfer. Cash payments must be made in Swiss Francs. PHILLIPS reserves the right to refuse immediate clearance of goods when paid for by wiretransfer or by cheque, whether drawn on a Swiss or foreign bank.
10 Payment of the purchase price is due within seven days after sale. Interest of 1.5% (expenses included) per month on the purchase price will be charged if payment is not received within these seven days. PHILLIPS reserves the right to resell unpaid items after the period of seven days by auction or privately without notice to the buyer. In this event PHILLIPS may claim from the defaulter damages including all loss arising from any resale of the lot together with the charges and expenses in respect of both sales. Any money deposited in part payment shall be held by PHILLIPS against the defaulter’s liability.
11 No purchase shall be claimed or removed until PHILLIPS has received full payment of the purchase price. All lots shall be removed at the buyer’s risk and expense. Purchases will be held for collection at no charge for 28 days. All purchases not collected within such period are subject to a minimum warehousing charge of CHF 10 per lot per day. If purchases are not removed within 60 days of the sale, PHILLIPS may deposit the lot at the buyer’s risk and expense. PHILLIPS shall not be responsible if the lots in storage are lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed. Any liability which there may be on the part of PHILLIPS in respect of any loss shall be restricted to a maximum of the price paid by the purchaser of the lot. Clearance of purchases, other than by the purchaser, must be carried out by a person specified on the written direction of the buyer. ON REQUEST, PHILLIPS WILL QUOTE FOR DOOR-TO-DOOR TRANSPORT OF PURCHASED ITEMS. ALL COSTS INCURRED BY SHIPPING, CUSTOMS AND INSURANCE WILL BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE BUYER.
12 Every person attending the public exhibition or the sales shall be deemed to be there at his own risk. He shall have no claim against PHILLIPS in respect of any injury he may sustain or any accident which may occur.
13 Any person causing damage to an item will be held legally responsible.
14 Notice of all forthcoming Auction Sales will appear in “La Feuille d’Avis Officielle”/ “Schweizerisches Handelsamtsblatt” and all interested parties are welcome to consult the Conditions of Sale at this time.
15 Any dispute concerning the auction/sale shall be governed by Swiss law and settled by the ORDINARY COURTS IN ZURICH.
16 The auction takes place under the supervision of the Stadtammannamt Zurich. The Canton and City of Zurich and particularly the Stadtammannamt Zurich bear no liability for the decisions taken by the auctioneer.