A renowned British documentary photographer and photojournalist, Martin Parr was born in 1952 and developed a passion for photography from a young age, influenced by his grandfather, an amateur photographer and member of the Royal Photographic Society. Parr’s distinctive photographic style, characterized by its close-up, saturated color palette, and often humorous yet critical perspective, made him one of the most influential photographers of his generation. His major projects included documenting rural communities in the 1970s, exploring the working class in his series “The Last Resort” (1983-1985), examining the middle class in “The Cost of Living” (1987-1989), critiquing mass tourism in “Small World” (1987-1994), and capturing the global consumerist culture in “Common Sense” (1995-1999). Parr’s work was not without controversy, as he was sometimes accused of condescendingly portraying the working class. However, his unique ability to isolate the most evocative details of everyday life and elevate them to broader societal commentary earned him widespread recognition. He was a member of the prestigious Magnum Photos agency from 1994 and served as its president from 2013 to 2017. In addition to his photographic work, Parr was an avid collector of photobooks and various vernacular and popular culture items. He also curated several influential exhibitions, including the 2004 Rencontres d’Arles festival. Parr passed away on Saturday, December 6th, 2025, but his legacy as a master of documentary photography and a chronicler of modern British society is cemented in his extensive body of work.
