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Martin Parr
The acute observation, wit and colour of Martin Parr's work since the mid-1980s has established him as one of the most successful and popular of contemporary photographers and a leading member of the prestigious Magnum agency. But a great deal of original and surprising earlier material has remained relatively unknown. This retrospective is the first serious assessment of his entire career to date. With over 600 images, including selections from all his best-known projects, it reveals hitherto little-known work and many previously unpublished photographs. Unlimited access to Parr's archives and extensive interviews with the photographer have allowed writer and curator Val Wilhams to chart Parr's life and career, giving new insights into his influences and attitudes and reassessing his importance as an artist.
- GenresPhotographyArtNonfiction
354 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 27, 2016
This book is a treasure to me. I really really adore the photographs of Martin Parr. It's difficult to explain why. I think a lot of people will think by seeing his pictures:'I can do this also'. And indeed, they aren't beautiful photo's. It's like there no art. And though it is. They are of so great a originality and technical perfection. Take for example the composition. Parr knows were to cut the border of the photo or which close-ups to make it perfect.
He wants to laugh with the ordinariness and ugliness of live. His photo's capture this triviality. The first photo's he took were mostly monochrome, passages of the daily life of people in Yorkshire. Were these photo's still has some beauty in them, the latter don't. Take his photo's of the last resort. There's dirt and ugliness in each photo. From then on his ironical view of the world becomes dominant. He laughs with people' s lack of taste, mass consumerism and tourism and so on. He's photo's reflect the trivial world around us in art.
It's a beautiful and very complete book of his photographs. I can only love it.
He wants to laugh with the ordinariness and ugliness of live. His photo's capture this triviality. The first photo's he took were mostly monochrome, passages of the daily life of people in Yorkshire. Were these photo's still has some beauty in them, the latter don't. Take his photo's of the last resort. There's dirt and ugliness in each photo. From then on his ironical view of the world becomes dominant. He laughs with people' s lack of taste, mass consumerism and tourism and so on. He's photo's reflect the trivial world around us in art.
It's a beautiful and very complete book of his photographs. I can only love it.
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February 4, 2024I came across Martin Parr's retrospective in an online bookshop. It’s massive – more than 350 pages long and for only 30 euros it sounded like a ‘steal’. After receiving it in the post, I realized why it was priced so low. It was in French. Since I can’t read it, I’m not going to rate it.
But was the book worth it? Yes. Martin Parr is one of my favourite photographers and this retrospective contains images from many of his different projects through the years. Loved paging through the book, and at the end they have cover photos of the different photo books he produced. So now I’ve noted which of them I want to acquire if I get the chance.
But was the book worth it? Yes. Martin Parr is one of my favourite photographers and this retrospective contains images from many of his different projects through the years. Loved paging through the book, and at the end they have cover photos of the different photo books he produced. So now I’ve noted which of them I want to acquire if I get the chance.
March 25, 2013
I'd give this book 5 stars if it wasn't a selective retrospective that left me wanting more of each of Parr's projects. I had been only dimly aware of his work before in The Last Resort and Boring Postcards, and since the weekend papers are one element of middle-classness I have long left behind, I've not seen his work there either.
I'm not sure what I think to Val Williams commentary. It was certainly interesting and I am in no authoritative position to judge. Perhaps it is just that I am coming at this book 10 years later than publication which creates that slightly jarring sensation. She certainly made Parr's progression a fascinating one, from staid middle-class Methodist surburban upbringing (let no-one complain about the 'phrase banks' for modern school reports - Parr's teachers were certainly well-supplied with stock offerings) to successful, comfortably-off (one surmises from the Clifton home) but be-sandalled Magnum photographer.
I was particularly interested in what Williams had to say about his time in Hebden Bridge working with his wife on a project about a Methodist chapel, and the different paths each followed as a result of that experience.
The work itself made me ache, and made me want to get out there and start clicking myself. I don't see the work as unkind. I was prepared to be more repelled by the colour he works in and by ugliness. I liked that it felt as though my response was left up to me.
I'm not sure what I think to Val Williams commentary. It was certainly interesting and I am in no authoritative position to judge. Perhaps it is just that I am coming at this book 10 years later than publication which creates that slightly jarring sensation. She certainly made Parr's progression a fascinating one, from staid middle-class Methodist surburban upbringing (let no-one complain about the 'phrase banks' for modern school reports - Parr's teachers were certainly well-supplied with stock offerings) to successful, comfortably-off (one surmises from the Clifton home) but be-sandalled Magnum photographer.
I was particularly interested in what Williams had to say about his time in Hebden Bridge working with his wife on a project about a Methodist chapel, and the different paths each followed as a result of that experience.
The work itself made me ache, and made me want to get out there and start clicking myself. I don't see the work as unkind. I was prepared to be more repelled by the colour he works in and by ugliness. I liked that it felt as though my response was left up to me.
June 2, 2014
Massive retrospective of one of my favorite photographers, complete with essays and timeline and tons of archive stuff Parr himself provided. Got this second hand in Powells for a mere $20. The really early black and white pictures he took in Yorkshire of people living around Hebdon Bridge in the mid 1970s are stunning. Glad I went for a visit when I was over seeing my parents last summer and could put it all in perspective about how much and little it had changed.
March 10, 2015
Panoramica eccezionale sull'opera di un fotografo ironico e acuto che amo moltissimo. I testi sono chiari e non troppo prolissi, la selezione delle immagini sufficientemente ampia, il formato adeguato.
August 6, 2012
Amazing! This guy is the bees' knees...
October 16, 2012
This is one of the best bio-retrospectives I've read. Highly recommended.
August 30, 2015
One of my favorite photographers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews