Water Towers USA 1988

Editor: Here we have Bernd and Hilla Becher’s “Water Towers USA” from 1988. It’s a black and white photograph, presented in a grid, featuring these rather imposing, almost solemn structures. They remind me of sentinels…but for water! What's your take on them? Curator: Sentinels... I love that. It's funny, isn't it, how these purely functional forms can take on such personality? To me, the Bechers were like archaeologists of the industrial landscape. They photographed these structures, and others – blast furnaces, gas tanks – with this incredibly objective eye. But in doing so, they revealed their unexpected beauty, their individuality. There is something melancholic and absurd in how they isolate and examine these objects with the passion of someone trying to classify plants or butterflies, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Definitely melancholic, especially in the black and white. Almost like they're relics of a bygone era. I’m curious about their "objective" approach, though. Is it truly possible to be objective when creating art? Curator: Ah, that's the magician's trick, isn't it? Maybe "deadpan" is a better description. The Bechers presented these water towers so matter-of-factly that it throws the peculiarities of each one into sharp relief. We start noticing the subtle differences, the unique “personality,” as you put it. And I suppose, ultimately, that act of pointing and directing our gaze is a very subjective one. In art, every decision reflects the artist's inner world to some extent, even when it's an intent to negate it! Editor: So, the "objectivity" is itself a kind of artistic statement? It's fascinating how much these towers, simply standing there, can tell us about art, and about ourselves. Thanks for clarifying! Curator: My pleasure! It all makes me want to wander around America finding these beauties and take black and white pics for no one.