“every…Bernd and Hilla Becher Prison type Gasholders” Idris Khan 2004.
Idris Khan’s super imposed photgraphs, trade on the rigourous methodology of Bernd and Hilla Becher. The Bechers photographed and catalogued industrial buildings around Germany and the USA, maintaining a strict set of guidelines that encouraged objective analysis and comparison between similar built types.
Khan’s photographs superimpose each photograph from one of the Becher’s series onto one another to form a single photograph. Admittedly (and I don’t want to play chicken and egg here…) the method is similar as that used in Megan Gould’s “Google Averages”as well as Jason Salavon’s “Every Playboy Centrefold”. However in this case the effect not one of an abstract blur but an emphasis in the similarity of form and the minor discrepancies of detail.
“every…Bernd and Hilla Becher Spherical type Gasholders” Idris Khan 2004.
Which appears to bear some relation to this devastation.
And thanks to Evan who pointed me in the direction of the wonderful Bechers in the first place.
June 27th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
[…] gravestmor » Becher on Becher by Kahn : : architectural ephemera […]
June 27th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
Great work and far superior to the originals, as much as I like the Bechers.
It’s Khan, BTW, not Kahn. (Perhaps old Louis’s ghost is still hanging around the premises.)
June 27th, 2006 at 7:31 pm
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June 30th, 2006 at 5:01 am
I have just encounter the works of this photographer, Krzysztof Pruszkowski, who made interesting pictures in the same style. I have one fine exemple in a magazine of a blend of De Gaule, Pompidou, Giscard and Mitterrand, but could’nt find it on the web. Here (http://www.fluctuat.net/expos/chroniques/agaillard.htm), there is a good one with Sartre and De Beauvoir. Some of his work here too (http://www.iphotocentral.com/search/result_list.php/256/Christophe+(Krzysztof)+Pruszkowski/0).
June 30th, 2006 at 11:09 am
[…] Things in games almost always turn out to be what they appear to be. There’s very little perceptual trickery in games, and almost no blurred lines. Nothing looks like this. Stories never (deliberately) have a David Fincher dream-logic twist. Everything is too immediate and makes too much sense. […]
July 16th, 2006 at 7:00 pm
This work was brought to my attention by quite a few gallery dealers, collectors, artists and friends. What they knew is that Khans work is similar to my own work. In fact some is so similiar that appropriation comes to mind. I’ve been creating mulitiple exposure images of open books since 95′ and have exhibited them across the US since that time. One of my book images is of a book by Karl Blossfeldt and another by the Bechers (Water Towers). I even have an edition of Muybridge book images I created for SF Camerawork for their ongoing fundraising. Of course Khan has work by those same three people. Check out:
ggibsongallery.com
photoeye.com (galleries)
none of the three images I mention is on there (they sold out the editions years ago but you can get the gist of my work.
July 17th, 2006 at 8:40 am
fantastic. Brings all the mystery and expression of a charcoal work. would like to see colour versions
July 17th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Doug - nice photos.
Beautiful stuff.
If you don’t mind, I might post some of them…
July 18th, 2006 at 12:45 am
Doug - Your pretty arrogant thinking that Mr Khan appropriated your work…
There are simularities between your work but I see his work to have a completely different conceptual edge. If I am not mistaken he comes from a islamic background and I feel the work sits within the rituals and repetition that one has to practice within a muslim upbringing. Constantly returning to the same practice over and over again. Have you seen his films or his music pieces they are sublime and have a completely different message to that of your work.
Well done on promoting your work off someone else’s though! - I love Khans work. Mysterious/Ghostly and inspirational….
July 18th, 2006 at 1:08 am
Katie I agree with you ! Idris Khan’s work is mysterious / ghostly and inspirational in all just brilliant to the extreme. Well done Idris Khan and good luck with all your future ventures.
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:59 pm
Katie, If you saw my Becher image or my Blossfeldt image you would be hard pressed to disagree with the extreme visual similarities regardless of conceptual intent. There are very few exhibiting artists (I know of) working with extremely layered photos of any images, let alone work that appropriates existing artists work (Blossfeldt, etc). The chance that someone would use this process AND the exact same source materials is very rare. I’m not talking landscape photos of the same mountain, etc., but a very specific technique and very specific subject matter. Arrogant indeed.
Regarding promoting my work of someone else’s I was merely trying to backup my point regarding the similarities. Unfortunately, I don’t have digital images online of the two images I mentioned above. I wish Khan the best on his work, I would love to see it in person.
November 25th, 2006 at 10:40 am
I really have to take exception with both Doug Keyes and this work by Kahn. It is totally a rip-off of Christophe (Krzysztof) Pruszkowski’s work, which was done over six years before Keyes, and 18-19 years before Kahn. Mark Hayworth-Booth and other knowlegeable curators have decried this blatant copying of Pruszkowski’s concept and images. His exhibition, KMK, in January 1991 showed these photographs, which he termed a homage to the Bechers, and there is an exhibit catalogue of the work. I do not currently have any of these images up on the website, but you can see the rest of his work at: http://www.iphotocentral.com/showcase/showcase_view.php/75/1/0 . The lead off image will give you a better idea of his concept.
Alex
April 28th, 2007 at 12:13 am
[…] [Image: What is it? To find out, you’ll have to visit gravestmor]. […]
June 28th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Hey, Doug. It’s easy to point fingers at people and say their work is a rip-off of mine, but the fact is this technique is used universally, like using a paintbrush. With due respect, it’s how you use the technique. Idris’ work is outstanding for the technique and eye for proportion.
I recently saw this image in the NSW Gallery and it is stunning. I praise the effort even if we all know how it was done, which isn’t the point.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Okay, I agree about the Krzysztof Pruszkowski comment. The similarities arre a little too coincidental.