Karen Strong
Valerie George
History of Photography
September 5, 2014
Martin Parr
The British photojournalist Martin Parr began his career as an amateur photographer as a young teenager with the encouragement of his grandfather who was himself a photographer. His formal education was obtained at Manchester Polytechnic 1n 1973 with a degree in Photographic Journalism. He later taught photography at The University of Wales in Newport England. In his career Parr has earned a reputation for being a somewhat humorous, somewhat psychological photographer of the ordinary people. At first he chose the people and places of his native UK, but as his reputation grew, he has studied the habits of people all over the world.
Martin Parr is an observer
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It is truly genius that Parr can bring this out in a photograph of possessions of a person rather than including the actual person.
. Martin Parr Ireland, County Sligo. Glencar. Abandoned Morris Minors. From ‘A Fair Day.' 1980-1983.From Magnum Photos
The photograph, of course, is from the west coast of Ireland where the photos for “A Fair Day” were shot in black and white to add to the mystery. The country was in a time of transformation from the old ways to new, and the owner of the chickens obviously had been caught up in that, much like the older generation of today is reluctant to use the technological advancements because they are too foreign to their customary
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Perhaps in response to the feedback he got from “The Last Resort," his next big release was called “The Cost of Living” in 1989. In it, he puts a bright light on the anxiety of the middle class of England. Just after that also in 1989, he releases “One Day Trip," an expose equally as harsh about greed and waste as Parr follows shoppers across the English Channel to France for a day.
Martin Parr, Auchan hypermarket, Calais, France, 1988, One day trip, 1987-1989
In subsequent years, Parr continues his analytical look at the human condition in England, but branches out to the rest of the world photographing the people of many countries to include Rome, Japan, the United States, Russia, France and many more. In all he has published over eighty books of his photography, and helped with the editing for other photographers.
A more recent and noteworthy compilation is “Common Sense”, 2004. This book is mostly about objects and how we use them, which can at times make the viewer uncomfortable, but still give them a good deal to think