Martin Parr

It seems appropriate to kick off this blog with the photographer that sparked my interest in photography, Martin Parr.

Before I saw Parr's images for the first time I had never really given photography much consideration. I had dabbled in photography throughout art college and in my few years working as a junior designer had commissioned photography and chosen appropriate imagery for the projects I worked on, but it didn't really inspire me, not the way that graphics or print did. That was until I saw this image - it was fun and gaudy - I loved it!

Martin Parr was born in Surrey in 1952. He had an early interest in photography, that was encouraged by his Grandfather (an amateur photographer) and in 1970 he started studying Photography at Manchester Polytechnic.

Throughout his career Parr has exhibited world-wide, had over 30 books published, is a full member of the Magnum Photographic Corporation, and has work in many international art collections, including the V&A Museum and the Arts Council of Great Britain.

Parr seeks out the irony and humour in modern life, his images capture people from all walks of life in everyday situations, or focus on obscure objects in mundane environments - no staged sets or studios, just a man and his camera in the right place at the right time. The cheeky, charm and English eccentricity of his images never fails to make me smile.

Although famous for his photography Martin Parr is also known for his obscure collections of the kitsch, the boring and the surreal; postcards, photography books and 80's Tory memorabillia to name a few. His collections can already be seen in some of his books (Boring postcards, From our house to your house') and have been integrated with his work to create his current exhibition, 'Parrworld' at The Haus der Kunst in Munich.

'Parrworld' shows "photographs in dialogue with his own various collections, which include strange objects, odd postcards, photographs by international artists, as well as an extraordinary collection of photography books, for the first time. His fascination for the peculiar and his liking for the exception to the rule, for the unusual and the curious, colour his collections with an individual flair". The exhibition runs until the 17 August and is then set for an international tour - dates and venues yet to be released.

The two-volume book set, 'Parrworld: Objects and Postcards' will be available from 1 August, to accompany the exhibition and give an intriguing look at Parr's 25 year+ collections.

Images copyright Martin Parr.
Represented by Magnum Photos.