-->

Martin Parr

"At home and abroad, Martin Parr is one of Britain's most famous photographers. He has chronicled our everyday life since the 1970s, turning his relentlessly curious eye on the eccentricities and vulgarities of every class and every corner of Britain." (Sean O’Hagan, 2012)

Unlike many photographers, Martin Parr does not seek to remove the eternal and the great - he is interested in momentary and insignificant. In ironical  English manner, he captures surroundings in his photographs: bored visitors in the cafe, picnickers, hikers in the museum, gulls eating fried potatoes, flowers at a gas station. He did not need to look for themes for shooting in poor states of India, or in the mountains of Peru. Martin Parr can make stunning photos, even visiting the presentation of plastic dishes. Parr's photos allow us to notice something strange, funny, and sometimes vulgar, that we have stopped noticing in our everyday life.

"Martin Parr sensitises our subconscious – and once we’ve seen his photographs, we keep on discovering these images over and over again in our daily lives and recognising ourselves within them. The humour in these photographs makes us laugh at ourselves, with a sense of recognition and release."

Snacking at the Georgia State Fair – a snapshot of life in Atlanta, through the eyes of Martin Parr. Photograph: Martin Parr/Magnum Photos

Reference:

Sean O’Hagan, 2012. Guardian: Up and Down Peachtree: Photographs of Atlanta By Martin Parr – review. Guardian, (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jul/22/up-down-peachtree-martin-parr-review)

(Accessed: 18 April, 2013)

http://www.martinparr.com/introduction/ (no date)

(Accessed: 15 March 2013)