Biographies – Martin Parr – satirical street photographer

Martin Parr – a UK based photographer has made his mission to chronically document the image of the modern society. Although his approach may not seem to convey the most truthful and realistic view, his skeptic and sometimes cynical images depict his own strong critique on the consumerist and dysfunctional society that we live in.  What captivated me about this photographer is the crude and direct approach that he takes in his work: getting uncomfortably close to his subjects, capturing them off guard and uncovering the difference between the public image people tend to portray and their private insecurities. When asked about this the photographer replies without a doubt: “And besides, you still have the legal and moral right in this country to photograph anyone in a public place and do what you like with it” (Secher, 2011). It becomes clear to me that Parr responsibility if firstly towards his viewer and the depiction of the scene rather that the subjects themselves. Perhaps, what attracts people to his images the most is the subtle humor that is evident in each of his pictures. He chooses foreign tourist and rich middle class locals as his subjects to reveal their sometimes vulgar and tacky qualities of lifestyle and is able to make a social commentary that is rarely formulated by street photographers.

Bibliography & References:

• Secher, B (2011) "The Foibles of the World." The Telegraph. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-features/8723045/The-foibles-of-the-world.html]