Bold claim: Martin Parr shaped how I see everyday life behind the lens, and his work touched a nerve because many of his iconic images came from near my own home city, Liverpool.
The Last Resort, Parr’s project centered on New Brighton—the northern English seaside town that was meant to echo the more famous Brighton on the south coast—never quite achieved the notoriety he might have hoped for. Parr visited New Brighton in the 1980s during what was billed as its peak, turning the ordinary into something strangely mesmerizing and, at times, unsettling. His ability to transform mundane scenes into compelling photographs left a lasting impression on me.
I had the opportunity to hear Parr speak in the summer of 2024. He candidly admitted that if his work were created today, he might not be able to publish it the same way. He noted a shift in how people view cameras and the growing wariness toward strangers photographing others, especially children in swimwear. In a modern context, such images would be met with far more scrutiny and concern.
Parr’s death at 73 this past week was surprising, though I recall that he had publicly spoken about a long-standing illness during a live talk. His passing feels paradoxically intimate: it reminds me of how his work, once so provocative, continues to provoke thought even after his era.
When I was a teenager, I began tracing Parr’s footsteps across the Mersey Ferry, seeking my own distinctive images in New Brighton. I ended up photographing abandoned shopping carts, a project that attracted the attention of my photography tutor. That encounter nudged me toward photography as a full-time pursuit. In short, Parr—and my mentor—played pivotal roles in steering me toward a career behind the camera.
Parr has not shied away from criticism, especially regarding The Last Resort. In a 2020 conversation with The Architectural Review, he said, “There’s always been an element of controversy in my pictures.” He added that he’s simply presenting reality as he sees it and doesn’t understand what’s problematic about that approach.
While some fellow Liverpudlians may have found The Last Resort offensive, for me and many others, it ranks among my favorite photographs. I’ve always admired art that captures ordinary people in genuine moments, and Parr’s work stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in the field.
Image credits: Courtesy of the Martin Parr Foundation and Magnum Photos
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