A huge number of photos from the celebrated: “Common Sense” series and a few other great pieces.
Common Sense combines extravagantly lurid and luscious colour with Parr's trademark sense of irony. Though hilariously funny-as always with Parr's work-there is a sharp and biting edge to the humour. He highlights the minutiae of everyday contemporary life-hamburgers, cigarette butts, tacky gifts, furry slippers and dime store combs-that have been taken around the world. These photographs are "documentary"-moments in a world culture.
About Martin Parr.
Born 1952 and member of Magnum Photo Agency. Parr is recognised as a brilliant satirist of contemporary life. Regular features in major magazines and newspapers and has been exhibited throughout the world. Held in the following collections: George Eastman House (Rochester), MOMA, Seagrams Collection (New York), Getty Museum (Malibu), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Parr's approach to documentary photography is intimate, anthropological and satirical. Macro lenses, ring flash, high-saturation colour film, and since it became an easier format to work in, digital photography, all allow 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.
You can download the press release here: