Idris Khan: Every…
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Every… Bernd and Hilla Becher Gable Sided Houses, 2004 and Every… Bernd and Hilla Becher Spherical Type Gasholders, 2004
© Idris Khan
Working with the photographic imagery of Bernd and Hilla Becher, Idris Khan superimposes the architectural photographs, drawing from their various Typologies, to create a single image. The result is a sort of hybrid of photography and gestural drawing that is, in regard to other similar appropriation work (that of Jason Salavon’s Every Playboy Centerfold or Megan Gould’s Go Ogle), not as much about abstraction as it is about visualizing the similarity of form and the minor discrepancies of architectural detail.
What Idris Khan is attempting to emphasize and, interestingly, what is often most striking about the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher to me, is the quality of design that characterizes each set of these functional industrial structures.
June 29th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
It’s interesting that Kahn choose to use the Becher’s work as the source of his inspiration. (is he German? is he just using them for their popularity?) I don’t that it’s about appropriation- rather it seems to be about our knowledge of the Becher’s; their place in the history of photography, and the Kunsakademie D√ºsseldorf.
It is about the origin of a certain type and thinking in photography and what impact that has had.
As a visual pieces are very beautiful- and and do not make a “perfect” image like a Burston photograph does. I see the Becher’s work as being about the things that ARE NOT the same in the same structures etc. What one notices about Kahn’s work is that, put together- the image is about the beauty of imperfection (it comes full circle because this is what the Becher’s work is about as well…)
Kahn should call his work “The Meanings of Origin” that would fit well.
If you are interested in the dialog that images have with one another look at Roni Horn’s work, especially her You Are The Weather Series.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0268/is_2_42/ai_109023340/pg_1
This is a great article on the work of Roe Ethridge who was very influenced by German photography and was able to translate it his own work in a new way.
July 6th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
[...] a recent comment, Nicola Kast referred me to this article from an older ArtForum about the work of Roe Ethridge. [...]