Quick Facts
Biography
Martin Parr (born 23 May 1952) is 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 (1975–82), The Last Resort (1983–85), The Cost of Living (1987–89), Small World (1987–94) and Common Sense (1995–99).
Since 1994, Parr has been a member of Magnum Photos. He has had around 40 solo photobooks published, and has featured in around 80 exhibitions worldwide – including the international touring exhibition ParrWorld, and a retrospective at the Barbican Arts Centre, London, in 2002.
Life and career
Personal life
Born in Epsom, Surrey, Parr wanted to become a documentary photographer from the age of fourteen. He cites his grandfather, George Parr, an amateur photographer and fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, as an early influence. He married Susan Mitchell and they have one child, Ellen Parr (born 1986).
Photographer
Parr has said of his photography:
The fundamental thing I'm exploring constantly is the difference between the mythology of the place and the reality of it. ... Remember I make serious photographs disguised as entertainment. That's part of my mantra. I make the pictures acceptable in order to find the audience but deep down there is actually a lot going on that's not sharply written in your face. If you want to read it you can read it.
Parr's aesthetic is close-up, through use of a macro lens, and employing saturated colour, a result of either the type of film and/or use of a ring flash. This allows him to put his subjects "under the microscope" in their own environment, giving them space to expose their lives and values in ways that often involve inadvertent humour. His technique, as seen in his book Signs of the Times: A Portrait of the Nation's Tastes (1992), has been said to leave viewers with ambiguous emotional reactions, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Manchester Polytechnic, 1970–1973
Parr studied photography at Manchester Polytechnic from 1970 to 1972 with contemporaries Daniel Meadows and Brian Griffin. Parr and Meadows collaborated on various projects, including working at Butlin's as roving photographers. They were part of a new wave of documentary photographers, "a loose British grouping, which, though it never gave itself a title have become variously known as 'the Young British Photographers', 'Independent Photographers' and the 'New British Photography'."
Rural communities, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Ireland, 1975–1982
In 1975 Parr moved to Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire where he would complete his first mature work. He was involved with the Albert Street Workshop, a hub for artistic activity which included a darkroom and exhibition space. Parr spent five years photographing rural life in the area, focusing on the Methodist (and some Baptist) non-conformist chapels, a focal point for isolated farming communities that in the early 1970s were closing down. He photographed in black-and-white, for its nostalgic nature and for it being appropriate to his celebratory look at this past activity. Also, photographers at that time were obliged to work in black-and-white in order to be taken seriously, colour being associated with commercial and snapshot photography. His series The Non-Conformists was widely exhibited at the time and published as a book in 2013. Critic Sean O'Hagan, writing in The Guardian, said "It's easy to forget how quietly observational Parr was as a black-and-white photographer."
In 1980 Parr married Susan Mitchell and, for her work, they moved to the west coast of Ireland. He set up a darkroom in Boyle, County Roscommon.
Parr's first publications, Bad Weather, published in 1982 by Zwemmer with an Arts Council subsidy, Calderdale Photographs (1984) and A Fair Day: Photographs from the West Coast of Ireland (1984), all featured photographs from mostly northern England, and Ireland, in black-and-white. He used a Leica M3 with a 35 mm lens; although for Bad Weather he quickly switched to an underwater camera with a flashgun.
The working class, The Last Resort, 1982–1985
In 1982 Parr and his wife moved to Wallasey, England, and he switched permanently to colour photography, inspired by the work of US colour photographers, mostly Joel Meyerowitz, but also William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, and also the British Peter Fraser and Peter Mitchell. Parr has written that "I had also encountered the post cards of John Hinde when I worked at Butlin's in the early 70’s and the bright saturated colour of these had a big impact on me." During the summers of 1983, 1984 and 1985 he photographed working-class people at the seaside in nearby New Brighton. This work was published in the book The Last Resort: Photographs of New Brighton (1986) and exhibited in Liverpool and London.
Although John Bulmer had pioneered colour documentary photography of Britain, from 1965, Gerry Badger has said of The Last Resort:
It is difficult from a perspective of almost a quarter of a century to underestimate [sic] the significance of The Last Resort, either in British photography or Martin Parr's career. For both, it represented a seismic change in the basic mode of photographic expression, from monochrome to colour, a fundamental technical change that heralded the development of a new tone in documentary photography.
Karen Wright, writing in The Independent, has said "He was attacked by some critics for his scrutiny of the working classes, but looking at these works, one merely sees Parr's unflinching eye capturing the truth of a social class embracing leisure in whatever form available."
The middle class, The Cost of Living (1987–1989)
In 1985 Parr completed a commission for the Documentary Photography Archive in Manchester to photograph people at supermarkets in Salford, Retailing in the Borough of Salford, which is now held at the archive.
He and his wife moved to Bristol in 1987, where they still live. During 1987 and 1988 he completed his next major project, on the middle class, who were at that time becoming increasingly affluent under Thatcherism. He photographed middle-class activities such as shopping, dinner parties and school open days, predominantly around Bristol and Bath in the southwest of England. It was published as his next book The Cost of Living (1989) and exhibited in Bath, London, Oxford and Paris.
His book One Day Trip (1989) featured photographs taken when he accompanied people on a booze cruise to France, a commission from Mission Photographique Transmanche.
Mass tourism, Small World (1987–1994)
Between 1987 and 1994 Parr travelled internationally to make his next major series, a critique of mass tourism, published as Small World in 1995. A revised edition with additional photographs was published in 2007. It was exhibited in 1995–1996 in London, Paris, Edinburgh, and Palma in Spain and has continued to be shown in various locations since.
He was visiting professor of photography at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki between 1990 and 1992.
Global consumerism, Common Sense (1995–1999)
Between 1995 and 1999 Parr made the series Common Sense about global consumerism. Common Sense was an exhibition of 350 prints, and a book published in 1999 with 158 images. The exhibition was first shown in 1999 and was staged simultaneously in forty-one venues in seventeen countries. The pictures depict the minutiae of consumer culture, and are intended to show the ways in which people entertain themselves. The photographs were taken with 35 mm ultra-saturated film for its vivid, heightened colours.
Magnum Photos
Parr joined Magnum Photos as an associate member in 1988. The vote on his inclusion as a full member in 1994 was divisive, with Philip Jones Griffiths circulating a plea to other members not to admit him. Parr achieved the necessary two-thirds majority by one vote. Magnum membership helped him work on editorial photography, and on editorial fashion photography for Paul Smith, Louis Vuitton, Galerie du jour Agnès B. and Madame Figaro.
In 2014 Parr was voted in as president of Magnum Photos International.
Collector
Photobooks
Parr is a collector and critic of photobooks. His collaboration with the critic Gerry Badger, The Photobook: A History (in three volumes) covers more than 1,000 examples of photobooks from the 19th century through to the present day. The first two volumes took eight years to complete. Tate Modern's retrospective exhibition of Daido Moriyama in London included many Moriyama books loaned from Parr displayed in vitrines.
Other items
Parr also collects postcards, photographs and various other items of vernacular and popular culture such as wallpaper, Saddam Hussein watches and prostitute advertising cards from phoneboxes (items with a photograph on them). Here too, items from his collections have been used as the basis for publications and exhibitions. Since the 1970s, Parr has collected and publicised the garish postcards made between the 1950s and 1970s by John Hinde and his team of photographers.
Curator
Parr was guest artistic director for the 2004 Rencontres d'Arles festival of photography, guest curator of the New Typologies exhibition at the 2008 New York Photo Festival, and guest curator of Brighton Photo Biennial in 2010, which he called New Documents. Critic Sean O'Hagan, writing in The Guardian, said "Back in 2004, he was invited by the organisers of the annual Rencontres D'Arles to be guest curator. That year's Arles festival, in its range and ambition, remains the standard by which all subsequent Rencontres have been judged."
Film and television
Parr has been involved in making television, and documentary and other films.
From 1990–92 Parr collaborated with Nick Barker, taking photographs to accompany Barker's film Signs of the Times.
In 1997, Parr began producing his own television documentaries with Mosaic Film.
In 2003 Parr was the subject of and appeared extensively in the Imagine BBC One TV series episode The World According to Parr, directed and produced by Rebecca Frayn, and hosted and executive produced by Alan Yentob.
He was cameraman on the film It's Nice Up North (2006) with comedian Graham Fellows (as his character John Shuttleworth). The film is a comic documentary filmed over several years in Shetland.
In 2007 Parr took part in BBC Four's The Genius of Photography, a six-part documentary series exploring the history of photography. In 2008 he was one of three judges on the Channel 4 series Picture This.
In 2014 Parr created "Turkey and Tinsel", a 60 minute deadpan and often hilarious observational video documentary about faux Christmas in small town England.
Teaching
In 2004 Parr was appointed professor of photography at the University of Wales, Newport. In 2013 he was appointed professor of photography at Ulster University in Belfast. Previously he was a visiting lecturer at West Surrey College of Art & Design (now University for the Creative Arts).
Reception
The German photographic curator Thomas Weski has said:
Martin Parr is a chronicler of our age... Leisure, consumption and communication are the concepts that this British photographer has been researching for several decades now on his worldwide travels... Parr enables us to see things that have seemed familiar to us in a completely new way.
Dan Rule, writing in The Age, has said:
Parr's signature is his ability not only to isolate the most evocative of human details, but to elevate such visual fragments to that of the wider societal signpost or glyph.
Awards
- 2004: Professor of photography, University of Wales, Newport.
- 2005: Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS), Royal Photographic Society, Bath, UK.
- 2006: Honorary Masters Degree, University for the Creative Arts
- 2008: Centenary Medal, Royal Photographic Society, Bath, UK.
- 2008: Doctor of Arts, honorary degree, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), in recognition for his ongoing contribution to photography and to the MMU School of Art.
- 2008: Lifetime Achievement Award, PHotoEspaña.
- 2008: International Award from the Photographic Society of Japan.
- 2014: Exceptional Achievement in Photography, Amateur Photographer, London.
- 2014: Lucie Award, Achievement in Documentary Photography, Lucie Foundation.
- 2016: Recognition for Significant Contribution in the Field of Visual Arts, Royal Academy of Arts, London.
- 2017: Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize, World Photography Organisation.
Publications
Monographs
- Bad Weather.
- London: Zwemmer, 1982. ISBN 0-302-99996-5. With 54 numbered but uncaptioned black and white plates, and texts by Michael Fish and Peter Turner, and an afterword, "Thoughts on Bad Weather", based on a conversation of Parr with Turner and Heather Forbes.
- Books on Books 17. New York, NY: Errata Editions, 2014. ISBN 978-1-935004-33-2. Essays by Thomas Weski, "Even the Queen gets wet"; Peter Turner; and Jeffrey Ladd.
- Calderdale Photographs. [Leeds, Yorkshire]: Calderdale Museums Services, 1984. OCLC 441700642. A 12-page catalogue, carrying the explanation "Prepared as a record of Martin Parr's work in the Calder Valley between 1974 and 1980, and to link with the exhibition of his photographs held at Piece Hall Art Gallery, Halifax from 14 January to 19 February 1984."
- A Fair Day: Photographs from the West Coast of Ireland. Wallasey: Promenade, 1984. ISBN 0-907797-10-5. Published to accompany a touring exhibition, text by Fintan O'Toole.
- Prescot: Now and Then. Prescot, Merseyside: Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley Leisure Services Department, 1984. ISBN 0947739009. Catalogue created by the Prescot Museum.
- The Last Resort: Photographs of New Brighton.
- Wallasey, Merseyside: Promenade Press, 1986. ISBN 0951141406.
- Stockport, Cheshire: Dewi Lewis, 1998. ISBN 1899235167.
- Stockport, Cheshire: Dewi Lewis, 2009. ISBN 1904587798.
- The Last Resort. Fotografien von New Brighton. Heidelberg: Kehrer, 2009. ISBN 3868281053. German-language version.
- The Last Resort: Photographies de New Brighton. Marseille: Images en Manœuvres, 2009. ISBN 2849951544. French-language version.
- The Cost of Living. Manchester: Cornerhouse, 1989. ISBN 0-948797-55-X. New York: Aperture, 1991. ISBN 0-89381-439-3. Text by Robert Chesshyre.
- One Day Trip = Voyage d'un jour. Mission photographique transmanche, cahier 5. Paris: Editions de la Différence; Pas-de-Calais: Centre régional de la photographie Nord-Pas-de-Calais, 1989. ISBN 2-904538-19-4. Bilingual (French and English); text by Robert Chesshyre.
- Signs of the Times: A Portrait of the Nation's Tastes. Manchester: Cornerhouse, 1992. ISBN 0948797916. Text by Nicholas Barker, from a BBC television series.
- Signes des temps. Paris: Textuel, 2006. ISBN 2845972032. French-language version.
- L'Ennui à deux = Bored Couples. Paris: Galerie du jour Agnès B., 1993. OCLC 864184535. Catalogue of an exhibition held at Galerie du jour Agnès B.; text in French and English.
- Home and Abroad.
- Home and Abroad. London: Jonathan Cape, 1993. ISBN 0-224-03132-5. Introduction by Ian McEwan.
- Doma i v cizině = Home and Abroad. [Prague]: British Council, c.1999. ISBN 8023870572. OCLC 320072963. Text by Vladimír Birgus.
- From A to B: Tales of Modern Motoring. London: BBC Books, 1994. ISBN 0-563-36984-1.
- Small World.
- Small World: A global photographic project 1987–1994. Stockport, Cheshire: Dewi Lewis, 1995. ISBN 1-899235-05-1. Introduction by Simon Winchester.
- Small World: Photographie-Projekt, 1987–1994. Heidelberg: Braus, 1995. ISBN 3894661364. German-language version. Introduction by Simon Winchester.
- Quel monde! Paris: Marval, 1995. OCLC 40327904. French-language version. Introduction by Roland Topor.
- Les Itinéraires culturels. L'Europe en bref. Geneva: Centre européen de la culture; [Arles]: Actes sud, 1997. ISBN 2742715894. Extracts from Small World, French text by Michel Thomas-Penette.
- Small World. Rome: Peliti Associati, 2005. ISBN 8885121330. Italian-language version.
- Small World: A global photographic project 1987–1994. Stockport, Cheshire: Dewi Lewis, 2007. Revised edition. ISBN 978-1-904587-40-8. Introduction by Geoff Dyer.
- Petite planète. Paris: Hoëbeke, 2008. ISBN 2842303199. French-language version.
- [Food] / Martin Parr. Catalogue.
- West Bay. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Rocket Press, 1997. OCLC 698589004. About West Bay, Dorset, with poems by eight poets, edited by Lottie Hoare. Edition of 250 copies.
- Japonais endormis = Nemuru Nihonjin (眠る日本人). Paris: Galerie du jour Agnès B., 1998. ISBN 2-906496-29-4.
- Common Sense. Stockport, Cheshire: Dewi Lewis, 1999. ISBN 1-899235-07-8. No text.
- Benidorm. Über die Welt. = About the World. Hannover: Sprengel Museum Hannover, 1999. ISBN 3-89169-145-9. Catalogue of an exhibition held at the Sprengel Museum. With text by Gerry Badger and Thomas Weski in German and English.
- Autoportrait. Stockport, Cheshire: Dewi Lewis, 2000. ISBN 1-899235-72-8. A small-format collection of photographs by commercial portrait photographers and others around the world of the unsmiling Parr. Introduction by Marvin Heiferman.
- Second, augmented edition. Stockport, Cheshire: Dewi Lewis, 2016. ISBN 978-1-907893-80-3.
- Think of England. London: Phaidon.
- Hardback, 2000. ISBN 0-7148-3991-4.
- Paperback, 2004. ISBN 0-7148-4454-3.
- La tendre Albion. 2000. ISBN 0-7148-9121-5. French-language version.
- The Phone Book: 1998-2002. Edition of 2,002 copies. London: Rocket and Essen: Galerie 20.21, 2002. ISBN 0-946676-53-4. ISBN 3-9806647-2-4.
- 7 Communist Still Lifes. One Picture Book 17. Portland, OR: Nazraeli Press, 2003. ISBN 1590050517. Edition of 500 copies.
- Fashion Magazine. Paris: Magnum Photos, 2005. ISBN 978-2-9524102-0-5. Text in French and English.
- 7 Colonial Still Lifes. One Picture Book 28. Portland, OR: Nazraeli Press, 2005. ISBN 1590051335. Edition of 500 copies.
- Mexico. With text by Rogelio Villarreal.
- London: Chris Boot, 2006. ISBN 0-9546894-8-8.
- New York: Aperture, 2006. ISBN 1597110310.
- Parrjektif: İstanbulʼda stil peşinde = Parrjective: Style hunting in Istanbul. Istanbul: Mavi Jeans, 2006. ISBN 9759671751.
- Tutta Roma. Rome: Contrasto, 2006. ISBN 88-6965-016-2. Main text by Ivana della Portella, introduction by Barringer Fifield.
- Parking Spaces. London: Chris Boot, 2007. OCLC 222585004. According to the colophon, "The last parking space photographed by Martin Parr in 41 countries between 2002 and 2007".
- Everybody Dance Now. New York: editions2wice, 2009. ISBN 0972388621.
- Playas. London: Chris Boot and Mexico: Editorial RM, 2009.
- Luxury. London: Chris Boot, 2009. ISBN 1-905712-13-8. With an introduction by Paul Smith.
- Luxury. Madrid: RM, 2009. ISBN 8492480637. In Spanish.
- Luxe. Paris: Textuel, 2009. ISBN 2845973489. In French.
- Martin Parr in India. [New Delhi]: Photoink, 2010. ISBN 8190391178. "Clubs, hotels & tearooms", "The sea", "Darjeeling", "Indian cakes", "Wedding parties"; text in Hindi, Urdu, and English.
- Japan. Kamakura: Super Labo, 2011. ISBN 4-905052-13-0. Edition of 500 copies.
- 7 Cups of Tea. One Picture Book 74. Portland, OR: Nazraeli Press, 2012. ISBN 978-1-58005-357-0. Edition of 500 copies.
- No Worries. Sydney: T & G, 2012. ISBN 978-0-987079-08-4. Produced for the City of Fremantle Festival of Photography and accompanied an exhibition held at the Western Maritime Museum, Victoria Quay, Fremantle; text by Robert Cook.
- Up and Down Peachtree: Photographs of Atlanta. Rome: Contrasto, 2012. ISBN 88-6965-332-3.
- Souvenir: Martin Parr, fotografia i col·leccionisme. Barcelona: Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, 2012. ISBN 8498034914. Catalogue of an exhibition held at Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona; text in Catalan, English and Spanish.
- 100 photos de Martin Parr. Pour la liberté de la presse. Paris: Reporters sans frontières, 2012. ISBN 2362200108.
- Life's a Beach.
- New York: Aperture, 2012. ISBN 1597112240. Edition of 1,000 copies.
- Paris: Xavier Barral, 2012. ISBN 2365110274. French-language version. Edition of 1,000 copies.
- Paris: Xavier Barral, 2012. ISBN 2365110088. French-language version.
- New York: Aperture, 2013. ISBN 978-1597112246.
- Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 2013. ISBN 3829606389. German-language version.
- Tokyo: Akaaka, 2013. ISBN 4903545954. Japanese-language version.
- The Non-Conformists. New York: Aperture, 2013. ISBN 1-597112-45-3.
- Les non-conformistes. Paris: Textuel, 2013. ISBN 2845974744. French-language version.
- Los Inconformistas. Madrid: La Fábrica, 2013. ISBN 8415691343. Spanish-language version.
- Grand Paris. Paris: Xavier Barral, 2014. ISBN 978-2-36511-047-1.
- Voewood Festival. High Kelling, Norfolk: Voewood Publications, 2014. ISBN 978-0992947200. Photographs of the Voewood Festival commissioned by Simon Finch. Introduction by DBC Pierre.
- Hong Kong Parr. London: GOST and Hong Kong: Blindspot Gallery, 2014. ISBN 978-1910401002. Photographs of Hong Kong in 2013 commissioned by Blindspot Gallery, accompanied by an exhibition at the gallery.
- Black Country Stories. Stockport, Cheshire: Dewi Lewis, 2014. ISBN 978-1907893636. Photographs of the Black Country region of England, commissioned by Multistory, accompanied by an exhibition at The New Art Gallery Walsall and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
- We Love Britain!. Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 2014. ISBN 978-3829606875. Edited by Inka Schube and with text by Inka Schube in German and English. Photographs of traces of Britishness in and around Hanover, Germany.
- Real Food. London: Phaidon, 2016. With an introductory essay by Fergus Henderson. Photographs of food taken throughout Parr's career.
- ISBN 978-0714871035.
- ISBN 9780714871547. French-language version.
- The Rhubarb Triangle. Wakefield: The Hepworth Wakefield, 2016. OCLC 985914298. With an essay by Susie Parr. Published to accompany the exhibition The Rhubarb Triangle & Other Stories: Photographs by Martin Parr at The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield from a two year commission for the gallery to photograph the Rhubarb Triangle.
Retrospectives, private publications, and very limited publications
- Boring Photographs. 2000. Photographs of Boring, Oregon. Edition of 12 copies.
- Flowers. Munkedals: Munken & Trebruk, 1999. Paris: Galerie du jour Agnès B., 2001. OCLC 82231759. Edition of 2500.
- Stern Portfolio. Stern Spezial Fotografie 36. Hamburg: Stern, 2004. ISBN 978-3-570194-45-4. Retrospective; texts in German and English.
- Fotografier 1971–2000. Stockholm: Kulturhuset, 2007. OCLC 474779301.
- Martin Parr Retrospective 1971–2000. Seoul Arts Centre, 2007. "This is the catalogue produced for Parr’s retrospective show at the Seoul Arts Centre in 2007."
- Urban Outfitters. Urban Outfitters, 2011. A "preview catalogue" of photographs taken in Marrakesh for the clothing retailer Urban Outfitters.
- Assorted Cocktail. Luxembourg: Coordination Générale; New York: Magnum Photos, 2006. OCLC 190847363. Exhibition catalogue.
- [Palma de Mallorca] Ajuntament de Palma; [Alicante] Caja Mediterraneo, [2009]. Catalogue of an exhibition held at Casal Solleric, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, June–September 2009; in Catalan, English, Spanish and French.
- Prague: DOX, Centre for Contemporary Art, 2011. ISBN 8087446062. Text by Thomas Weski and Irena Šorfová.
Papers and zines
- Basler Magazin. Basel, Switzerland: Basler, 1997. "A special edition of Basler Magazin, featuring images by Martin from the Basel Art Fair. Published by Basler Magazin, 1997".
- The Big Issue: On the Ring Road. The Big Issue 451, 20–26 August 2001. OCLC 500941730. "Martin Parr explores the strange rituals of suburban Britain".
- A8 Glasgow. London: John McAslan + Partners, 2005.OCLC 75968602. Special issue of JMP Journal. "A commission for John McAslan the architect, who invited Parr to photograph the surroundings of his childhood haunts between Dunoon and Port Glasgow. [. . .] 28 colour photographs."
- Rebirth. Stiletto, 2007. "A Stiletto fashion supplement. Published by Stiletto, 2007".
- Luxembourg. Luxembourg et Grande Region, 2007. "This 32 page newspaper was published in Luxembourg to coincide with its year as the European Capital of Culture 2007. [. . .] 36 colour photographs."
- Fashion Newspaper. London: Magnum Photos, 2007. OCLC 778631195. In English and Japanese. Accompanying a 2007 exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. "In 2007 Parr’s fashion exhibition, initiated by Bon Marche in Paris, went to Tokyo. This special newspaper was published to accompany the show. It features the Paul Smith’s winter 2007 collection as well as a folio of images taken in the UK. [. . .] 57 colour photographs."
- Dubai. Dubai: The Third Line, 2008. "In 2007 Parr photographed the races and polo in Dubai. A year later these images were shown at the Third Line Gallery in Dubai."
- Guardian Cities Project. London: The Guardian, 2008. OCLC 778916872. A set of newspaper supplements – on Manchester, Brighton, Liverpool, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Newcastle, Cambridge, Leeds – in a box.
- The Art Newspaper, 16 October 2008. London: Umberto Allemandi, 2008. "A special edition of The Art Newspaper published and given out during Frieze Art Fair in London. Includes exclusive photographs shot by Martin at the event."
- The Art Newspaper, 18–19 October 2008. London: Umberto Allemandi, 2008. "A special edition of The Art Newspaper published and given out during Frieze Art Fair in London. Includes exclusive photographs shot by Martin at the event."
- St Mary Redcliffe & Temple School. Bristol City Council, 2011. About St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School: "Parr was appointed artist in residence at this large comprehensive school in Bristol for the 2010/2011 academic year. The resulting images were presented in an installation in the school and in a newspaper that was given to every pupil."
- The Goutte d'Or. Paris: L’Institut des Cultures d’Islam, 2011. "This newspaper accompanies an exhibition commission by the Islamam [sic] Cultural Centre based in this Paris suburb."
- Bristol and West. Bristol: M Shed, 2011. "Published to accompany Parr’s show at the newly opened M Shed in Bristol. Parr showed the many images taken in his long career in the West of England."
- Think of Switzerland. Switzerland: Du, 2013. "A special edition of [the Swiss magazine Du] which contains both Parr's new photos of the country, and some of the classic ones he shot in previous decades."
- Black Country Women. West Bromwich, England: Multistory, 2013. ISBN 978-0-956345-77-6. A magazine made for and about Black Country women, with photographs by Parr and text by Margaret Drabble.
- The Rhubarb Triangle. Wakefield: The Hepworth Wakefield, 2016. With an essay by Susie Parr. 24 page newspaper published to accompany the exhibition The Rhubarb Triangle & Other Stories: Photographs by Martin Parr at The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield.
- Chinatown 1984. Southport: Café Royal, 2015. Edition of 250 copies.
- Yates's. Southport: Café Royal, 2016. Edition of 500 copies.
- Abandoned Morris Minors of the West of Ireland. Southport: Café Royal, 2017. Edition of 500 copies.
Postcards
- Home and Abroad. London: British Council, 1994. OCLC 51048056. A set of postcards, as the catalogue of a travelling exhibition. Text by Brett Rogers. Not to be confused with the book of the same title.
- Love Cube. [Stockholm]: Gun Gallery, 2007. ISBN 9197492507. Twenty-seven cards in a box, with a booklet. Photographs by Parr, text by Johan Croneman.
- Royal Wedding. Paris: Verlhac, 2011. ISBN 2916954791. Set of 10 postcards inside small album. Text (in French) by Stéphane Bern.
- Royal Jubilee. Set of 10 postcards inside small album.
- London: Pavilion, 2012. ISBN 978-1-862-059771. Text (in English) by Stéphane Bern.
- Paris: Verlhac, 2012. ISBN 978-2-916954-94-3. French-language version. Text (in French) by Stéphane Bern.
Books with others
- Sobre Santiago: tres de Magnum. Santiago de Compostela: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicacións e Intercambio Científico, 1993. ISBN 8481210595. With Carl De Keyzer and Miguel Rio Branco. Catalogue of an exhibition held at the University of Santiago de Compostela; text in Galician and English.
- John Davies, Martin Parr. Sguardi Gardesani 2. Milan: Charta, 1999. ISBN 8881582236. Photographs by Parr and John Davies, text by Franco Rella. Catalogue of an exhibition held at Museo Civico, Riva del Garda; text in Italian and English.
- CPictures. Rome: Contrasto Due, 2003. ISBN 9788886982788. Photographs by Parr, Gianni Berengo Gardin, Gueorgui Pinkhassov and Sandro Sodano; text in Italian and English by Renata Molho and Denis Curti.
- Venedig. Frankfurt am Main: Büchergilde Gutenberg, 2005. ISBN 3936543984. ISBN 3763256563. By Parr, Zora Del Buono, Nikolaus Gelpke, Paolo Pellegrin, Gueorgui Pinkhassov, Mark Power and Robert Voit.
- Road Trip, Martin Parr and Friends. Sony Ericsson, 2005. OCLC 693324651. With others. A promotional book for the Sony Ericsson K750 camera phone.
- America 2006. London: Stephen Daiter Gallery/Schaden.com/Rocket Gallery, 2007. OCLC 778868246. By Parr and John Gossage, "as the artists' choice of aliases, Obvious or Ordinary".
- Witness Number Three. New York: Joy of Giving Something, 2007. ISBN 1590052145.
- How We Are: Photographing Britain, from the 1840s to the Present. London: Tate, 2007. ISBN 1854377140. Book by Val Williams and Susan Bright accompanying an exhibition; Parr and Gerry Badger contribute the chapter "We are all photographers now".
- Correspondencia: Marcelo Brodsky + Martin Parr. AFA nécessaire. [Santiago, Chile]: Galería AFA, 2008. ISBN 9568627022. Catalogue of an exhibition of Parr and Marcelo Brodsky's work. In Spanish and English.
- Joachim Schmid Is Martin Parr · Martin Parr Is Joachim Schmid. Self-published, Joachim Schmid / Blurb, 2009.
- Parr by Parr - Quentin Bajac Meets Martin Parr - Discussions with a Promiscuous Photographer. Amsterdam: Schilt, 2010. ISBN 978-9-053307-37-3. With Quentin Bajac.
- Le Mélange des genres. Paris: Textuel, 2010. ISBN 2845973918. French-language version.
- Martin Parr por Martin Parr: Un diálogo con Quentin Bajac: discusiones con un fotográfo promiscuo. BlowUp. Libros únicos. Madrid: La Fábrica D.L., 2010. ISBN 8492841702. Spanish-language version.
- Intervista a un fotografo promiscuo. Lezioni di fotografia. Rome: Contrasto, 2012. ISBN 8869653927. Italian-language version.
- Мартин Парр: В своем жанре. Интервью с Квентинм Бажаком. Treemedia, 2012. ISBN 978-5-903788-17-0. Russian-language version.
- A Book of King's: Views of a Cambridge College. Third Millennium Information, 2010. ISBN 1906507368. About King's College, Cambridge, edited by Karl Sabbagh.
- Machu Picchu. Nazraeli Press Six by Six, set 1 v. 4. Portland, OR: Nazraeli, 2010. ISBN 1590052978. Edition of 100 copies. The other volumes are by Anthony Hernandez, Todd Hido, Raymond Meeks, Toshio Shibata and Mark Steinmetz.
- The Real World = Tikras Pasaulis. Kaunas: Kaunas Photography Gallery, [2010]. ISBN 978-609-95146-1-1. A two-volume set: one volume by Parr and the other by Rimaldas Vikšraitis.
- One Day: 10 Photographers. Heidelberg: Kehrer Verlag, 2011. ISBN 978-3-86828-173-6. A boxed set, edited by Harvey Benge, of ten slim books of photographs taken on 21 June 2010, each book by one of Parr, Jessica Backhaus, Gerry Badger, Benge, John Gossage, Todd Hido, Rob Hornstra, Rinko Kawauchi, Eva Maria Ocherbauer and Alec Soth. On this day Parr was at home in Bristol, and (according to the preface) "I decided to photograph the small rituals of my daily life".
- Made in Italy. Rimini: Pazzini Editore, 2012. Booklet. "A commission for the Savignano Immagini Photo Festival in Italy resulted in this work exploring the Italian fashion industry in the area. Parr’s images make up one of eight booklets by different photographers [. . .] collectively called Sin_Tesis . Terrority | Industry | Now."
Books edited or with contributions by Parr
- The Actual Boot: The photographic post card boom, 1900–1920. Bradford: National Museum of Photography, Film, and Television, 1986. ISBN 0948308036. With Jack Stasiak. Catalogue of an exhibition that opened at the National Museum of Photography, Film, and Television and then toured.
- smart. Reduce to the Max. Biel, Switzerland: Micro Compact Car AG, 1997. OCLC 175165701. About the Smart car. Concept by Reinhold Weber, Parr is the primary photographer.
- Boring Postcards. London: Phaidon, 1999. Hardback ISBN 0-7148-3895-0. Paperback ISBN 0-7148-4390-3. Reproductions of boring postcards of Britain.
- London 1958–59. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 1998. ISBN 189923571X. Photographs by Sergio Larrain, introduction by Mike Seaborne.
- Boring Postcards USA. London: Phaidon, 2000. Hardback ISBN 0-7148-4000-9. Paperback ISBN 0-7148-4391-1. Reproductions of boring postcards of the US.
- Langweilige Postkarten. London: Phaidon, 2001. ISBN 0-7148-4062-9. Reproductions of boring postcards of Germany.
- From Our House to Your House: Celebrating the American Christmas. Stockport, Cheshire: Dewi Lewis, 2002. ISBN 1-899235-34-5
- Our True Intent Is All for Your Delight: The John Hinde Butlin's Photographs. London: Chris Boot, 2002. ISBN 0-9542813-0-6. London: Chris Boot, 2011. ISBN 1905712200.
- Notre sincère désir est votre plaisir. Paris: Textuel, 2002. ISBN 2845970641. French-language version.
- Bliss: Postcards of Couples and Families. London: Chris Boot, 2003. ISBN 0-9542813-3-0. Reproductions of postcards.
- Bonheur! garanti pour le couple, idéal pour la famille. Textuel, 2003. ISBN 9782845970977. French-language version.
- Saddam Hussein Watches. [London: Chris Boot], 2004. OCLC 58732043.
- Lodz Ghetto Album. London: Chris Boot, 2004. ISBN 0-9542813-7-3. Photographs by Henryk Ross of the Łódź ghetto under the Nazis; selected by Parr and Timothy Prus.
- Łódź Getto. Łódź: Fundacja Edukacji Wizualnej, 2005. OCLC 751110164.
- Arles, rencontres de la photographie: 2004. Arles: Actes Sud, 2004. ISBN 2742752218. Parr was curator.
- The Photobook: A History. London: Phaidon. With Gerry Badger.
- Vol. I. 2004. ISBN 0-7148-4285-0.
- Vol. II. 2006. ISBN 0-7148-4433-0.
- Vol. III. 2014. ISBN 978-0-7148-6677-2.
- Le livre de photographies: une histoire. Paris: Phaidon.
- Tome 1. 2005. ISBN 0714894834.
- Tome 2. 2007. ISBN 071489706X.
- My Amsterdam. Amsterdam: De Verbeelding, 2005. ISBN 9074159788. Photographs by Ed van der Elsken. Accompanying an exhibition at Amsterdam Fotomuseum/FOAM; edited and introduced by Parr.
- Photographs. Rome: Contrasto, 2006. ISBN 88-6965-015-4. Photographs by David Goldblatt. Parr contributes a short introduction to this book, published to accompany an exhibition described as curated by Parr.
- David Goldblatt. Südafrikanische Fotografien 1952–2006. Winterthur: Fotomuseum, 2007. ISBN 3856162941.
- Darkroom. Portland, OR: Nazraeli, 2007. ISBN 9781590051924. Photographs by Michel Campeau. First book in the "Parr/Nazraeli Edition of Ten".
- Half Awake and Half Asleep in the Water. Portland, OR: 2007. ISBN 9781590052150. Photographs by Asako Narahashi. Second book in the "Parr/Nazraeli Edition of Ten".
- Parr World. Postcards. London: Chris Boot, 2008. ISBN 978-1-905712-10-6. Reproductions of postcards.
- Cartes postales. Monde de Martin Parr. Paris: Textuel, 2008. ISBN 2845972873.
- Parr World. Objects. London: Chris Boot, 2008. ISBN 978-1-905712-08-3.
- Objets. Monde de Martin Parr. Paris: Textuel, 2008. ISBN 2845972873.
- NYPH 08: New York Photo Festival 14–18 May: The Future of Contemporary Photography: DUMBO, Brooklyn. New York: Powerhouse, 2008. ISBN 1576874796. Book of an exhibition curated by Parr.
- Bureaucratics. Portland, OR: Nazraeli, 2008. ISBN 978-1-59005-232-7. Photographs by Jan Banning. Third book in the "Parr/Nazraeli Edition of Ten".
- Portfolio: Click to Add Subtitle. Blurb, 2009. OCLC 680083358. About the Photography. Book. Now 2010 competition; with text by Parr, WassinkLundgren (Thijs groot Wassink and Ruben Lundgren), Blurb, Hewlett-Packard.
- School. Portland, OR: Nazraeli, 2009. ISBN 1-59005-241-2. Photographs by Raimond Wouda. Fourth book in the "Parr/Nazraeli Edition of Ten".
- Visual correspondences = Correspondencias visuales. Buenos Aires: La Marca Editora, 2009. OCLC 429143026. Artwork by Parr, Marcelo Brodsky, Manuel Esclusa, Cassio Vasconcellos, Pablo Ortiz Monasterio and Horst Hoheisel; texts by Valeria González, Eduardo Cadava and Paola Cortes-Rocca. In Spanish and English.
- Archivo. Amsterdam, 2009. ISBN 907253204X. Work by Parr, Harold Strak, Eva-Fiore Kovakovsky, Johannes Schwartz, Daya Cahen, Paul Kooiker, Qiu Yang, Kyungwoo Chun, Lee To Sang, Erik van der Weijde, Sara Blokland, Willem van Zoetendaal, Anuschka Blommers & Niels Schumm, and Miroslav Tichý. Catalogue of an exhibition curated by Paul Kooiker and Willem van Zoetendaal.
- Retratos Pintados. Portland, OR: Nazraeli Press 2010. Painted photographs collected by Titus Riedl. Fifth book in the "Parr/Nazraeli Edition of Ten".
- Grimaces of the Weary Village by Rimaldas Vikšraitis. London: White Space Gallery, 2010. ISBN 0955739462.
- Brighton Photo Biennial 2010: New Documents. Brighton: Brighton Photo Biennial, 2010. ISBN 190379644X. Catalogue of an exhibition curated by Parr, edited by Parr and Helen Cadwallader.
- Geografía postal: Las postales de las familias García Lorca y De los Ríos. Madrid: This Side Up; Fundación Federico García Lorca; Obra Social Caja Madrid, 2010. ISBN 8493491624. Selected by Parr, text by Enrique Vila-Matas. In Spanish.
- Postal Geography: Postcards of the García Lorca and De los Ríos Families. Madrid: Instituto Cervantes, Fundación Federico García Lorca, Obra Social Caja Madrid, 2012. OCLC 847873266. English-language version, to accompany an exhibition held at Instituto Cervantes, Dublin.
- Magnum Contact Sheets. Edited by Kristen Lubben.
- Magnum Contact Sheets. London: Thames & Hudson, 2011. ISBN 9780500544129.
- Magnum Contact Sheets. London: Thames & Hudson, 2014. ISBN 978-0500544310. Compact edition.
- Magnum Contact Sheets: The Collector's Edition: Martin Parr, Last Resort, 1985. London: Thames & Hudson, 2011. ISBN 978-0500544129. Includes a print of a contact sheet. Edition of 50 copies.
- Martin Parr's Best Books of the Decade. PhotoIreland, 2011. OCLC 756036166. Edited by Moritz Neumüller and Ángel Luis González. With texts by Parr and 30 photoraphers.
- La Creciente. Portland, OR: Nazraeli, 2011. ISBN 9781590053218. Photographs by Alejandro Chaskielberg. Sixth book in the "Parr/Nazraeli Edition of Ten".
- The Protest Box. Göttingen: Steidl, 2011. ISBN 9783869301242. Contains Protest on Paper (ISBN 3869301422); Enrique Bostelmann, América: un Viaje a traves de la injustica (1970); Paolo Gasparini, Para verte major, América Latina (1972); Dirk Alvermann, Algeria (1961); Kazuo Kitai, Sanrizuka (1971); Paolo Mattioli and Anna Candiani, Immagini del No (1974). Co-edited with Gerry Badger.
- El fotolibro latinoamericano. Mexico City: Fundación Televisa, 2011. OCLC 777865333. Co-edited with Horacio Fernández, Marcelo Brodsky, Iatã Cannabrava, Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, and others. English-language version.
- The Latin American Photobook. Aperture Foundation and Fundación Televisa, 2011. ISBN 978-1-59711-189-8. English-language version.
- Les Livres de photographie d'Amérique latine. Marseille: Images en manoeuvres, 2011. ISBN 2849952168. French-language version.
- From Here On. Arles: Les Rencontres d'Arles-photographie, 2011. ISBN 2953916814. Catalogue of an exhibition curated by Parr, Clément Chéreux, Joan Fontcuberta, Erik Kessels and Joachim Schmid; text in French and English.
- From here on: D'ara endavant: La postfotografia en l'era d'internet I la telefonia mòbil = From here on: a partir de ahora: la postfotografía en la era de internet y la telefonía móvil = From here on: Postphotography in the age of the Internet and the mobile phone. Mexico City: Editorial RM; Barcelona: Arts Santa Monica: Generalitat de Catalunya, Department de Cultura, 2013. ISBN 8439389949; ISBN 8415118457.
- New Latin Look = Nueva mirada latina. Madrid: Ivorypress, 2012. ISBN 8493949841. Edited by Parr and Elena Ochoa Foster. In Spanish and English.
- Strangely Familiar. Portland, OR: Nazraeli, 2013. ISBN 1-59005-353-2. Photographs by Peter Mitchell. Seventh book in the "Parr/Nazraeli Edition of Ten".
- Watford Gap: The First Motorway Service Station. Ipswich: Diesel Books, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9566928-2-5. Photographs by Sam Mellish, introduction by David Harsent, and "archival imagery" by Parr.
- Only in England: Photographs by Tony Ray-Jones. Bradford: National Media Museum, 2013. ISBN 978-1-900747-67-7. OCLC 870756771. Published to accompany an exhibition described as having a portion of its images selected from the Ray-Jones archive by Parr and Greg Hobson. Parr contributes an essay. Introductions by Hannah Redler and Greg Hobson, and essays also by David Alan Mellor and Ian Walker.
- The Waiting Game. Mexico City, Mexico: Editorial RM, 2014. ISBN 978-8415118572. Photographs by Txema Salvans. Parr and John Carlin each contribute a short introduction.
- Hidden Islam. Bolzano/Bozen, Italy: Rorhof, 2014. ISBN 978-88-909817-0-8. Photographs by Nicolò Degiorgis. Edited and introduced by Parr.
- The Chinese Photobook. With WassinkLundgren. New York: Aperture, 2015. ISBN 978-1597112284.
- ABC Photography. Berlin: Tarzipan, 2017. Photographs by Parr, Nan Goldin, Sarah Illenberger, Peter Lindbergh, Christoph Niemann, Bene Ochs, Sebastião Salgado, Alec Soth, Wolfgang Tillmans, and others. Text by Monte Packham.
- Photobook Phenomenon. Munich: Prestel; CCCB/RM/Fundació Foto Colectania, 2017. A box set of eight booklets of writing, one each by Moritz Neumüller and Lesley Martin, Markus Schaden and Frederic Lezmi, Parr ("The Collector’s Vision"), Horacio Fernández, Ryuichi Kaneko, Gerry Badger, Erik Kessels, and Irene de Mendoza and Neumüller. ISBN 978-8417047054.
Books about Parr
These also include photographs by Parr.
- Martin Parr by Val Williams.
- London: Phaidon, 2002. ISBN 0-7148-3990-6. Hardback.
- Martin Parr. Rome: Contrasto, 2002. ISBN 888698247X. Italian-language version.
- Berlin: Phaidon, 2008. ISBN 0714893919. German-language version.
- London: Phaidon, 2004. ISBN 071484389X. Paperback.
- 2nd ed. London: Phaidon, 2014. ISBN 0714865664.
- Martin Parr vu par.... Bonsecours, France: Édition Point de vues, 2005. By children; in French.
- Martin Parr by Sandra S Phillips.
- Phaidon 55. London: Phaidon, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7148-4528-9.
- Paris: Phaidon, 2007. ISBN 0714899925. French-language edition.
- London: Phaidon, 2013.
- Martin Parr, text by Alessandra Mauro.
- I Grandi Fotografi: Magnum Photos. Testimonianze e visioni del nostro tempo. Milan: Hachette Fascicoli, 2005. OCLC 799576457. In Italian.
- Grandes fotográfos Magnum Photos 20. [Barcelona]: Salvat [2007]. ISBN 844710558X. In Spanish.
Notable exhibitions
- 1972: Butlins by the Sea (with Daniel Meadows), Impressions Gallery, York, UK.
- 1974: Home Sweet Home, Impressions Gallery, York, UK.
- 1977: Hebden Bridge and Beauty Spots, The Photographers' Gallery, London.
- 1989–1991: The Cost of Living, Royal Photographic Society, Bath, 1989/1990; The Photographers' Gallery, London, 1990; Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, 1990; Gallery Jacques Gordat, Paris, 1991.
- 2002–2005: Retrospective, Martin Parr Photoworks 1971 – 2000, Barbican Arts Centre, London, 2002; National Museum of Photography, Film, and Television, Bradford, 2002; Kunsthal, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2003; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, 2003; National Museum of Photography, Copenhagen, 2003; Deichtorhallen, Hamburg, 2004. Works 1971–2001, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris, 2005. Curated by Val Williams and organized by Brigitte Lardinois. Photographs from the 1970s-2001, from the series Butlins by the Sea, June Street, Home Sweet Home, The Last Resort, The Cost of Living, Small World and Autoportraits.
- 2007: Retrospective, Month of Photography Asia, Singapore. Parr's exhibition was the main show.
- 2008/2009: ParrWorld, touring exhibition, Haus der Kunst, Munich, 2008; Graphic Design Museum, Breda, Netherlands, 2008; Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume, Paris, 2009; Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, UK, 2009.
- 2013/2014: Only in England: Photographs by Tony Ray-Jones and Martin Parr, Media Space, Science Museum, London, September 2013 – March 2014; National Media Museum, Bradford, March–June 2014; Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, February–June 2015. With Parr's The Non-Conformists and material from the National Media Museum's Tony Ray-Jones archive, curated by Parr and Greg Hobson.
- 2014: Paris, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris
- 2017: Sony World Photography Awards & Martin Parr - 2017 Exhibition, Somerset House, London. Three rooms dedicated to Parr, with "black and white images from his early career, alongside some of the artist’s most talked about work, books and films and original exhibition posters." Also shown were a "selection of the winning, shortlisted and commended work from the World Photography Organisation's annual photography competi[ti]on."
Collections
Parr's work is held in the following permanent collections:
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- Tate, London