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” |
Make a donation to help with our running costs
Did you know that Macfilos is run by five photography enthusiasts based in the UK, USA and Europe? We cover all the substantial costs of running the site, and we do not carry advertising because it spoils readers’ enjoyment. Every amount, however small, will be appreciated, and we will write to acknowledge your generosity.
We did a lot of work over many years with him at Photo Museum Ireland here in Dublin. His career took an upward step when he came here with his wife in 1980. When he went back to Britain he reached even further heights with his ‘New Brighton ‘ series and other projects. His legacy will live on with his Martin Parr Foundation and the work which he did with other photographers.
William
Many thanks William,
If you have any stories/anecdotes we could share with readers, please let us know, and we can figure out a way to incorporate them.
Thanks for posting this.
For those of us on the other side of the pond, The Guardian has a nice collection of tributes from people who worked with Parr.
Thanks Kathy,
I believe we should honour our influential photographers. Their legacies are what educate and inspire the next generation to press the shutter button.