Martin Parr Made Me Do It.
A critical essay about Martin Parr.
Martin Parr was the first photographer to inspire me and continues to be the biggest influence on my photography. Martin Parr has a unique and dividing approach to the genre. Concentrating mainly on documentary photography he has developed an international reputation for his innovative imagery of society and his input to photographic culture within the UK and abroad.
It was the context of his photography that first spoke to me. His work explores the ordinary, mundane and everyday. He has studied national and international societies, exploring leisure, consumption and cultural peculiarities for several decades. His images explore how we live, how we present ourselves to others, and what we value. To me this is more meaningful than a romanticized, technically perfect shot of a subject I have no relationship with. We are often looking for a political message in documentary photography. As Susan Sontag said “Unfortunately the antes keep getting raised” (Sontag, 1979) as if to say photography has lost the power to shock and therefor we are always looking for more disturbing images to fulfill our rubbernecking but sometimes these images are so far beyond our real lives they are a fraudulent example of politics. What is more important than our own lives and cultural politics, values and place in society? After all, we still struggle to speak to a disabled member of our community without a prime time TV adverts from Scope giving us a “How to Video.”
Martin Parr explains that “Most photographers are very attached to things that are exotic, and to people who are in extreme and dramatic circumstances. But I truly believe that the ordinary is much more interesting than people make out. We are so familiar with it and familiarity breeds contempt, but when you go to something like a supermarket or an Argos, or a shopping mall, they are quite extraordinary places.” (Ordinary lives, extraordinary photographs, 2004). I have always instinctively photographed the unextraordinary and Martin Parr's approach gives me confidence that this is ok and has a power all of its own.
The series “One Day Trip” from 1988 documents the English on a trip to France. The images show shoppers in a duty-free supermarket in Calais. The people appear desperate, the trolleys are full to the brim with duty free and rival shoppers frantically grab cheap beer and fags. The series for me says a lot about consumerism, greed, our culture and class system. It is a real shame that our economy means it is cheaper to travel over the channel to afford our vices and we are willing to push and shove to get the best deal.
Martins Parr's work is often described as grotesque and exploitive and was famously criticised by the French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, who took a dislike to the attitude expressed in his pictures. He complained Martin Parr seemed to come from a different planet. Parr replied, admitting that their photographic visions “differed“ – but added, “Why shoot the messenger?” (And your spat with Henri Cartier-Bresson?, no date). I don't believe Martin Parr is speaking an alien language and if he is I am also fluet. As he stated he is a “messenger” and just delivers the truth. I believe his approach is to show us, without any magic tricks or apologies, the real world. He subtly interjects his own opinion and thought into his photographs to show us how he sees the world, then challenges us to see it differently as well but essentially we are free to make our own truths from that.
Martin Parr enables us to see things that have seemed familiar to us in a completely new way. This has strongly influenced my own work. I am very inspired by the diversity and the uniqueness of humans and how we relate to one another. Martin Parr puts the underdog in the spotlight, he empowers and treasures people's eccentricities. This idea is particularly important in my work with social care and my desire to make disabilities more palatable.
After a short stint with black and white film in his early career Martin Parr begun to use colour and it is this use of colour that has given him a unique visual language. He has used both film and digital but they are both always accompanied with lots of flash. He uses both a ring flash and flash guns to give a very bright saturated image with a very even shadow. This method has been criticised as it does not adhere to many photographers ideals of a perfect photograph. In his work there is little use of light and dark and no obvious emotions conjured up by moody black and white film. I can see how this is unacceptable to someone concerned with technical photography and a desire for images that spoon feed you a feeling but I don't believe documentary photography requires this. I believe it is important to document the truth and Martin Parr delivers the truth with no complications. His method shows a simplistic way of articulating an idea. His relaxed approach to technicalities has influenced my own work, I often find if I worry too much about technicalities I miss the subject and the most important part of the story. Martin Parr said “With photography, I like to create fiction out of reality.” (Parr and Smith, 2009). So If we look at the world like a soap opera full of characters sometimes light can be a character that steals the limelight of the main one.
Martin Parr again uses less traditional rules when it comes to composition. The characters and subjects in his pictures stand boldly centre stage, he gets extremely close to his subjects, uses a macro lens and doesn’t ask for permission. The result gives the viewer a sense of ‘being there’ in the midst of all the action and a feeling of inclusion. Martin Parr has done a lot of close up shots of food throughout his career. This work for me brings focus to the animate object and uses it as a tool. It is a simple way to describe a greater idea. For example the juxtaposition of a lovingly made home-made cake set against a commercial bakers bulk bakes tells a story of the consumer society. This magnification of animate objects to tell a story has inspired me to find my own way to explore identity. It has been especially difficult to document social care due to dignity and safeguarding policies so I am inspired to explore the use of objects as a means of communication.
Martin Parr's work can be very nostalgic. His shoots often look like they belong in a family photo album. The bright, garish colours emphasise the Kitsch qualities of our culture and makes us sentimental. His series “Last Resort” evokes memories of childhood holidays. This approach, his subjects and uncomplicated techniques make his work comforting. He is an advocate for accessible photography, he believes that photography should be technically limitless and digestible for everyone. He is very active in educating and championing young photographers. This attitude is valuable. It is important we make photography accessible to a wider audience, especially the disabled community where by image is the universal language and it can be a valuable tool. I always found photography intimidating and perceived it as a privileged practice that you could only participate in if you could afford the expensive most equipment and luxury locations to document. However Martin Parr has been a hero to me as I can engage in his work and feel I've been let into the VIP lounge. He has given me the tools and permission to continue to find ways of telling my stories and those of others.
Magnum photographer Alec Soth referred to Martin Parr as the “Jay-Z of documentary photography. Parr's presence can be felt everywhere in the medium. He is, hands down, the hardest working photographer I know.” (StarTribune, 2016). Whilst continuing to make personal work, exhibits in galleries around the world and publish many books he has explored filmmaking, advertising and fashion. Through this broad spectrum he can reach a wider audience. His photo books are tangible and accessible, his work with Henry Holland champions real fashion and is more relatable and his work with the BBC brings art to the masses. Martin Parr is a huge inspiration for myself and paved away for many other photographers, such as Nadia Lee Cohen. She too draws inspiration from culture, uses bold colour and Martin Parr's narrative style. Consciously or subconsciously Martin Parr’s photography has made a great impact on visual art and culture. His approach to photography may have contributed to the current rejection of perfection in the media. Bex Day and her magazine Pylot are examples of photography and publications that encourage a more unadulterated aesthetic in the industry as “we are coming to live in a world that has become far too superficial and unrealistic” (Bex Day(Bedei and Glammonitor, 2015).
Whether you love him or hate him he has made an impact on the world of image making. His accessibility has made him a voice for the people and has given me the confidence to make me do it.
And your spat with Henri Cartier-Bresson? (no date) Available at: http://www.martinparr.com/test/faqs/and-your-spat-with-henri-cartier-bresson/
Bedei, C. and Glammonitor (2015) How real, unretouched models are dominating the fashion industry. Available at: http://uk.businessinsider.com/how-real-unretouched-models-are-dominating-the-fashion-industry
Ordinary lives, extraordinary photographs by Gayford, M. (2004) Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3615454/Ordinary-lives-extraordinary-photographs.html
Parr, M. and Smith, P. (2009) Martin Parr: Luxury. London: Chris Boot.
Sontag, S. (1979) On photography. London, United Kingdom: Penguin, [1979]
StarTribune (2016) A photographer’s-eye view of Martin Parr. Available at: http://www.startribune.com/a-photographer-s-eye-view-of-martin-parr/140231463
