As many of you may already know, Martin Parr died on Saturday 6th December. I had been a fan of his work, since I became interested in photography. To me, he was one of the important voices and eyes that captured social change in Britain, and I felt it was important for Macfilos to mark his passing.
As the subtitle to this short tribute says (and I quote from Magnum), he made the ordinary extraordinary. His critical eye captured the dismantling of the old British social class structures and the collapse of everyday institutions that followed it.
He seemed very much captivated by the lives of everyday people. Not to criticise, but to observe and note what they were doing and the context of where this was happening. He also had a satirical eye for scenes that others might have missed or avoided. He did this in multiple locations from Manchester in the North of England, to the Butlins Holiday Camps on the coast of the East Riding of Yorkshire, to life in Ireland. All shot beautifully in black and white.
I could go on, but others with more knowledge of his work and personal connections to Martin will be better spokespeople than I ever could be. I would encourage you to seek his work if you are not familiar with it.
| More about Martin Parr: | Martin Parr’s own site |
| The ordinary made extraordinary | “I am Martin Parr” |
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