As a boy, legendary British photographer Martin Parr’s budding interest in the medium was encouraged by his grandfather George, himself a keen amateur. Born in Epsom in 1952, Parr studied photography at Manchester Polytechnic before gaining an international reputation for his unique approach to social documentary.
Parr’s entertaining, witty and accessible images enable us to see familiar things in a completely new way; his work has been exhibited all over the world, and he has published more than 120 books. In 2017, the Martin Parr Foundation opened in Bristol and in 2021 he was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list.
His contribution to photography has been recognised through awards including the Erich Salomon Prize and the Sony World Photography Award for Outstanding Contribution to Photography. Recently, he was named Photo London’s 2023 Master of Photography.
What's everyone reading?
The first album I loved was Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. I was brought up during the Beatles’ greatest years, and this has to be the peak of their musical achievements.
The book that influenced me the most is A Day Off: An English Journal by the brilliant photographer Tony Ray-Jones. He studied in the USA with Alexey Brodovitch, came back to the UK and produced this book in the late 1960s.
I’m currently reading The Seaside by Madeleine Bunting. I am as obsessed as she is with the English coast, but her book also looks at the deprivation that is so often found in these parts.
My favourite film is Night on Earth by Jim Jarmusch. I like the great dialogue and how all of the taxi rides [the film consists of five, located in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki] happen at the same time.
I’m currently watching Succession. It will be hard to think of an epic television series
that is as well scripted and acted as this – it has made money and greed quite unattractive.
My favourite restaurant is Sonny Stores in Bristol. This little neighbourhood spot has
a small but regularly changing menu, and is always delicious.
The best exhibition I’ve ever seen is the Stephen Gill retrospective at the Arnolfini. This talented photographer, who hails from Bristol, has explored what appear to be insane ideas, but always makes them work.
I collect many things, including watches depicting Saddam Hussein [the subject of an exhibition and book by Parr], miners’-strike ephemera and Russian space-dog souvenirs.
My favourite place in the world is Tenby. I have been to all major British seaside resorts and this is the most handsome by far. It has three beaches and Georgian houses overlooking the sea, and is surrounded by Norman walls.
My favourite building is the De La Warr Pavilion. This beautiful modernist gallery is a real gem. I took one of my favourite black and white photographs there, of people dancing as the light was falling.
The greatest meal I ever had was at El Bulli. It was very long and consisted of more than 30 courses. The drama of it all made it memorable.
If I could bring back one trend it would be writing postcards. I like the idea of selecting an image that may have some meaning to send to a person.
