Simons blog: Martin parrs exhibition / Research

I visited the Public in west brom to see Martin Parr's exhibition on black country stories

with over 600 photos on view off the black country life , there was even a few architectural and close up photos in the mix so was nice to see hes work

Martin Parr

During the last 20 years Martin Parr has become established as Britons best-know and most successful documentary photography
His goal is to show the real side of every day life rather than the carefully edited idealised image other photographers show

Some strange close ups from martin Parr

Martin Parr wanted to become a documentary photographer from the age of fourteen, and cites his grandfather, an amateur photographer, as an early influence of Art in 1970. In 1983, he began taking photographs in New Brighton, a run-down seaside resort on the Wirral outside Liverpool in England. Built as a Victorian rival to its elegant namesake in the south, by the turn of the century it had become a favorite resort for working-class families and day-trippers from towns in the industrial north west. By the time Parr got there, three New Brighton was in severe decline . Instead of the grainy black and white in which photographers had traditionally reflected Britain (particularly working-class Britain) for the past half-century, Parr took a medium-format camera, flash, and color film. It showed New Brighton and its holidaymakers in an unforgiving light. There was no safe veil of nostalgia, nothing subdued by black and white.

I found a article about Martin Parr in one of my old mags

A collection of martin Parr's work

Martin parr talking about some of hes photos at Parr world

a exhibition that was held in Gateshead at the Baltic

showing some of hes collection of books and photos

and showing a collection of hes own work .

Decisive moments

1952 born In Epsom surrey
1970 starts studying photography at Manchester polytechnic
1975 Given a Arts council of great Britain photography Award
1984 Takes up colour photography
1994 Becomes a full member of magnum photos
1999 Parr's book common sense signals a new direction with more focus on close up detail rather than wider scenes
2004 Appointed professor of photography at the university of wales
2005 Becomes a honorary fellow of the royal photographic society
2008 Made a honorary doctor of arts at Manchester metropolitan university