Martin Parr
Martin Parr
Martin Parris a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known for his photographic projects that take an intimate, satirical and anthropological look at aspects of modern life, in particular documenting the social classes of England, and more broadly the wealth of the Western world. His major projects have been rural communities, The Last Resort, The Cost of Living, Small Worldand Common Sense...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPhotographer
Date of Birth25 May 1952
thinking groups individual
I never think of photographs as being individual. Always as a group.
book thinking years
I have been photographing people dancing for 20 or 30 years now, and I think I will eventually do a book of dancing photos.
hurt thinking photograph
Unless it hurts, unless there’s some vulnerability there, I don’t think you’re going to get good photographs.
technology thinking phones
Nobody thinks about technical issues anymore because cameras or camera phones take care of that automatically. On the other hand, you still have the option of controlling every technical aspect. It's the most accessible, democratic medium available in the world.
thinking ordinary aspect
I think the ordinary is a very under-exploited aspect of our lives because it is so familiar.
call fulfilling relaxing taking trip work
Personally, I don't take holidays; I go on trips. My idea of relaxing is taking a trip that isn't commissioned. I'll work just as hard, but without that nagging pressure of fulfilling a commission. Now that's what I call a holiday.
hard
We live in a homogenized world, where it's hard to get excited when everything is slick and professional. The interesting things are the dull things.
We live in a difficult but inspiring world, and there is so much out there that I want to record.
Sometimes you feel uncomfortable taking a photograph, but that's all part of the job.
far gave good margaret people
Margaret Thatcher was very good for the arts in so far as it gave people a real focus for something to be against.
nature responsibility whether
Photography is, by its nature, exploitative. It's whether you use this process with a sense of responsibility or not. I feel that I do so. My conscience is clear.
people
I photograph people as I find them. But people have issues about how they look.
magazines opportunity projects
One of the things I regret is that magazines now are so lifestyle-orientated that the opportunity to do bigger projects is gone. This is a serious misjudgment on the part of magazine editors.
easily wedding
You can easily take photographs at a wedding - no one would question it. But funerals are different.