Typology is a series of images what are either objects from the same theme or are objects which are the same thing.
The art of Photographic Typologies originates from August Sander’s 1929 series of portraits called ‘Face of Our Time’. The series shows several images of children, showing the different classes and the differences between them during World War Two in Germany. The series was so powerful when put together that the Nazi's destroyed the images when they came into power of Germany.
The term Typology comes from a style of photography which Bernd and Hilla Becher, who were lecturers at the Dusseldorf School of Photography. The two created a collection of series of images which shown the subject of Ruined German Architecture. The images were all taken from the same angle and the same distance. Their influence as lecturers, passed on Typologies onto their pupils, whom were the next generation of photographers.
The art of Typologies has become popular recently, due to galleries showing the art type. The Tate Modern, in 2011, hosted a Typology gallery, which analysed and compared the different images. Typology as an art movement is now said to be one of the most important art movements that have ever took place in the 20th century.
'Face of Our Time' 1929:
I really like this series of images because it is powerful and emotional. The images all seem to have a story, and with the 2 images of the children looking at the viewer, it makes it more personal.
The images are obvious as to which class is which. The first image is upper class, I can tell because the boys are well dressed, and their posture is very upper class. The two children in the middle image, look lower class. This is obvious because their clothes are very scruffy and dirty. The third image is middle class. The children are well dressed, but it's obvious that the clothes aren't the best.
I could use this influence of comparing class, by perhaps doing my own version of this with stereotypes or hair colours.
August Sander:
Bernd and Hilla Becher:
I like these pieces because they give us a glimpse of what the Industrial Buildings in Germany were like. Their Typologies were created to make us think about the subject, and they were created to capture the landscape that they saw changing before their eyes.
I could use this influence to maybe photograph some old or new buildings in my area, and make a typology from it. One thing I could photograph abandoned factories.