Martin Parr CBE (1952) is a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known for his photographic projects that take an intimate, satirical and anthropological look at aspects of modern life, in particular documenting the social classes of England, and more broadly the wealth of the Western world.
His major projects have been rural communities (1975–1982), The Last Resort (1983–1985), The Cost of Living (1987–1989), Small World (1987–1994) and Common Sense (1995–1999).
The Martin Parr Foundation, founded in 2014, and registered as a charity in 2015 opened premises in his hometown of Bristol in 2017. It houses his own archive, his collection of British and Irish photography by other photographers, and a gallery.
Parr’s grandfather encouraged his early interest in photography, and he studied at the Manchester School of Art. In the early 1980s, Parr produced a series of photographs of New Brighton, a run-down seaside resort outside Liverpool. The gaudy and sometimes grotesque imagery of these works seemed to reflect the spirit of Thatcher’s Britain, while echoing the tradition of tacky seaside postcards. More recently, Parr has addressed themes of consumerism, mass tourism and globalisation with a distinctive wit and sense of irony. In Common Sense (1995-9), he uses bright colours and exaggerated close-ups to explore the excesses of contemporary capitalism. Motifs such as heads, hats, hands, food and dogs are repeated throughout, creating a snatched catalogue of our all too familiar shortcomings.
