Martin Parr
& British New Wave Colour Photography
Jodie, Rebecca, Lewis, Kotryna
Martin Parr
Who is Martin Parr?
• Born 24 May 1952, Parr is a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and filmmaker.
• Studied photography at Manchester Polytechnic and began pursuing it professionally from the 1970s.
• He is known for projects that critique aspects of everyday modern life, particularly suburban, provincial
life in England.
• He is a member of Magnum photos, an exclusive collective of the most revered photographers in the
world.
Martin Parr’s Work
• Started out in black and white photography in the mid-1970s, he switched to colour in 1984, the first
notable result was ‘Last Resort: Photographs of New Brighton’.
• His work is often described as intimate, anthropological and satirical and is heavily inspired by the
photographer Weegee.
• He often places his subjects under the microscope, exposing their lives and values in ways often involve
inadvertent humour. (See: Sign of the Times: A Portrait of the Nation’s Tastes ’92).
Martin Parr, New Brighton (1986)
Martin Parr, New Brighton (1986)
Martin Parr, New Brighton (1986)
Martin Parr, New Brighton (1986)
Implications OF HIS WORK
• Parr addresses themes of consumerism, mass tourism and globalisation with a distinctive wit and sense
of irony.
• 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.
•In ‘Common Sense’ (‘95), he uses bright colours and exaggerated close-ups to explore the excesses of contemporary
capitalism.
• Motifs such as hats, hats, hands , food and dogs are repeated throughout, creating a snatched catalogue or our all too
familiar shortcomings.
Martin Parr, Liverpool (1983)
Anna Fox
• Part of British New Wave Photography that appeared in the
1980s
• Like Parr she observed the bizarre in the everyday
• The Village-she tried to expose the reality behind the ‘picture
perfect’ rural Britain
• Her photos are at many times grotesque and unflattering with
a satirical feeling (such as Hampshire Pram Race 2006)
‘Fox's work…also has an oblique, gothic sensibility that
reveals the darkness in apparently ordinary situations.’ –
Tina Jackson (Metro)
Hampshire Pram Race 2006
Hampshire Pram Race 2006
• Photo resembles Diane Arbus’ ‘Identicle Twins’ 1967
in the reading ‘How do we read a photograph’ which
implies the concern with identity and differencehowever the colour used by fox is vivid to emphasize
the abnormality in the so- called normal situations.
• Parr differs in this way as his work takes on a
humorous and mocking tone but remains lighthearted in his mocking yet appreciation of British
culture
'Colour is so immediate…It's more aggressive. It's like, it's
today, and not romantic or nostalgic – Anna Fox
•London offices in Work Stations (1986/88)
Paul Graham
From ‘New Europe’ (1986)
• From ‘Beyond Caring’ (1984-85)
Conclusion
• These photographers all used colour
documentary to successfully highlight either
humour and abnormality in supposedly
mundane situations in British life
• Do you think that colour lessens the critique
of British culture so as to remain satirical
rather than merely accusatory?
• Do their intentions come across in their work?