Martin Parr CBE born 23 May is a British documentary photographer, [ 3 ] photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known for his photographic projects that take an intimate, satirical and anthropological [ 4 ] look at aspects of modern life, in particular documenting the social classes of England, and more broadly the wealth of the Western world. Since , Parr has been a member of Magnum Photos. The Martin Parr Foundation, founded in , and registered as a charity in [ 7 ] opened premises in his hometown of Bristol in It houses his own archive, his collection of British and Irish photography by other photographers, and a gallery.
Born in Epsom , Surrey, [ 9 ] Parr wanted to become a documentary photographer from the age of fourteen. He cites his grandfather, George Parr, an amateur photographer [ 9 ] and fellow of the Royal Photographic Society , as an early influence.
Parr was diagnosed with cancer in May The fundamental thing I'm exploring constantly is the difference between the mythology of the place and the reality of it. Remember I make serious photographs disguised as entertainment. That's part of my mantra. I make the pictures acceptable to find the audience but deep down there is actually a lot going on that's not sharply written in your face. If you want to read it you can read it.
This allows him to put his subjects "under the microscope" in their own environment, giving them space to expose their lives and values in ways that often involve inadvertent humour. Parr studied photography at Manchester Polytechnic from to with contemporaries Daniel Meadows and Brian Griffin. Parr spent five years photographing rural life in the area, focusing on the Methodist and some Baptist non-conformist chapels, a focal point for isolated farming communities that in the early s were closing down.
He photographed in black-and-white, for its nostalgic nature and for it being appropriate to his celebratory look at this past activity. In Parr married Susan Mitchell and, for her work, they moved to the west coast of Ireland. He set up a darkroom in Boyle, County Roscommon. He used a Leica M3 with a 35 mm lens; [ 17 ] [ 21 ] although for Bad Weather he quickly switched to an underwater camera with a flashgun. It is difficult from a perspective of almost a quarter of a century to underestimate [sic] the significance of The Last Resort , either in British photography or Martin Parr's career.
