Martin Parr, love him or hate him?

Martin Parr love or hate?

  • love

    Votes: 48 63.2%

  • hate

    Votes: 28 36.8%
  • Total voters
    76
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rjbell

rjbell

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Name
Robert
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Yes
I got the Martin Parr last resort book for my birthday and i love it. He's a bit of a love hate character what do you think?

Its got me inspired to start my long time planned project on Barry Island my home town. The resort has been in decline for decades, but has had a resurgence of popularity due to Gavin & Stacey and now Being Human. The council are full of promises of regeneration but of course haven't done a thing yet. I plan on documenting the regeneration along with new holiday makers, as well as locals and workers of the island.

I'm thinking of calling the project 'Island Getaway' what do you think?
 
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His images don't do anything for me, and frankly, my dog could have taken better pictures.

I'm not sure taking pictures like he does and being a professional are helping the perception of our industry. I could fully understand the sentiment of someone who thinks professional photographers are a joke.

I'm sure he's avery nice man though :)

But well done Robert for being inspired, so he cant be all bad!
 
Really like him.

Went to a seminar where he talked alongside other Magnum photographers - as a 19-year-old student I was easily influenced, as many people are at that age, but i can remember him having an infectious positivity towards photographing the world that was very straightforward. I just liked the things he did and have done so since....
 
Neither love nor hate, indifferent, his work doe's nothing for me but he seems to make a good living so good luck to him.
Bob :shrug:
 
I went to a talk he did at Wedgewood last year. I was a bit ambivalent. Liking some things and absolutely hating others. I like more of his work now I understand what he's been up to. He's a good speaker too.

I saw the documentary there was about him on BBC many years ago. I went out an bought a ring flash...

I did a magnum weekend a few months ago and it was quite funny listening to Peter Marlow complaining about Martin just popping over to Paris to photograph a carrot on a plate. He was particularly irritated by the flash reflection left on the plate!

His photo's of 80s merseyside are iconic. Especially the woman sunbathing right next to the digger.
 
old bloke said:
Neither love nor hate, indifferent, his work doe's nothing for me but he seems to make a good living so good luck to him.
Bob :shrug:
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That's about where I am with him - his recent Barcelona work is nothing more than snaps any tourist could or might have taken, by accident !!! :LOL:

Perhaps I just don't 'get' it :shrug:

Dave
 
If the man is in demand, can get paid to tour the world and take pics that anyone could take with a decent camera, then fair play to him, he obviously knows how to sell himself!
 
I've never heard of him so I went an looked him up.

I have to say his work looks like family snapshots for the most part. This was from looking at the intro on his website. While they are high quality snapshots, snapshots is the best way I can describe his work.

Add me to to the doesn't get it list.
 
I like his work. I think you have to view the work as a collection rather than as individual images. His use of colour, and especially the way he uses it, is quite unusual for social documentary, I think it's a genre that tends to be done in black and white.
Interestingly, his early black and white work is completely different to his colour work.
 
Quite possibly my favourite photographer. I cannot help but be inspired when I see his work.
 
maninsuitcase said:
I've never heard of him so I went an looked him up.

I have to say his work looks like family snapshots for the most part. This was from looking at the intro on his website. While they are high quality snapshots, snapshots is the best way I can describe his work.

Add me to to the doesn't get it list.
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Funnily enough i have just done the same, and come to a very similar conclusion

I wouldn't go as far as saying i hate him or his work, so i haven't voted either way
 
Martin Parr gave a lecture when I was at uni, he's quite an ordinary guy.

When I think of him I think of sunburnt men/women, seagulls, and a lot of saturation.

I like his work, it's nice to see something that's slightly comical with british humour.
 
Never heard of him so just spent a fair bit of time looking at his recent stuff. Really like his work, as standalone images there is nothing 'wowing' me, but as collections I really really like them.

I think 'snapshots' is unfair as there is clearly a style to his work (in my eyes), I actually found it quite refreshing to see a large number of modern photos, hardly any of which used wide apertures to 'professionalise' them.
 
Not for me.

(but wouldn't go quite as far as to say that I "hate" him! that's a bit harsh!)
 
Colour me non-plussed with hints of bemusement. :shrug:
 
I love his work. You do have to understand what he's doing to get it.
 
Uninspiring to say the least. Does what it says on the tin in no frills style.
 
I also got Sebastiao Salgado's Africa. Can't wait until the babies in bed, i'm going to get into bed myself and read my books.
 
Whilst its not really my cup of tea I do like the way he manages to capture the tacky british sea side....

plus he has giant ********* balls to take some of the pictures he does... hwo he doesn't get slapped i'll never know!
 
I like some of his work, it has a quirky "Britishness" to it.

I'd like to see your project on Barry Island - spent a lot of time and money at the funfair there in the early '70s as I had relatives in Barry and spent my summer hols with them.
 
POAH said:
I'd not say that. you either like someones work or not.
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I'm cool with people not liking someone's work, but when they are dismissive yet have done nothing original to move photography on I take issue.
 
yeezzzooo never heard of him before ,,, me thinks theres a chance for me yet ,,

i get most of what hes capturing ,, thou no all of it
 
The23rdman said:
I'm cool with people not liking someone's work, but when they are dismissive yet have done nothing original to move photography on I take issue.
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Isn't that an odd stance if the people you are arguing don't agree the tog has done anything 'masterful' or 'moved anything on' - next you'll be telling me that pickled cow bloke as done wonders for art too :D

I do find it odd how truly arty types can't accept they may be wrong - bit like religious zealots :bang:

Dave
 
I feel like I'd get more out of it if I were a white, middle class English person. I do find the photos strangely endearing though.
 
Part of Magnum, so I know him, also referenced him in my recent course work and project

I liked his work on leisure and the english way of life. There's been some excellent other photographers doing similar work:
John Gay (England observed is a superb book) - an example:
http://www.englishheritageprints.com/blackpool_aa047928/print/460620.html


Joceyn Bain Hogg: http://www.viiphoto.com/showstory.php?nID=1411

Simon Roberts and We the English: http://we-english.co.uk/index.html

Tony Ray Jones - The English
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/...res_the_english_by_tony_ray_jones_/html/1.stm
or
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2011/may/30/tony-ray-jones-the-english

Daniel Meadows - Butlins by the sea: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c7d767d8-d469-11e0-a42b-00144feab49a.html#slide0
 
Byker28i said:
Part of Magnum, so I know him, also referenced him in my recent course work and project

I liked his work on leisure and the english way of life. There's been some excellent other photographers doing similar work:
John Gay (England observed is a superb book) - an example:
http://www.englishheritageprints.com/blackpool_aa047928/print/460620.html


Joceyn Bain Hogg: http://www.viiphoto.com/showstory.php?nID=1411

Simon Roberts and We the English: http://we-english.co.uk/index.html

Tony Ray Jones - The English
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/...res_the_english_by_tony_ray_jones_/html/1.stm
or
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2011/may/30/tony-ray-jones-the-english

Daniel Meadows - Butlins by the sea: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c7d767d8-d469-11e0-a42b-00144feab49a.html#slide0
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Are you part of Magnum?
 
Love or Hate Martin Parr??

I dunno, what's to hate....his success ?

I find him an articulate thoughtful bloke.

I like some of his work and some I don't, I don't hate any of it
 
DG Phototraining said:
Isn't that an odd stance if the people you are arguing don't agree the tog has done anything 'masterful' or 'moved anything on' - next you'll be telling me that pickled cow bloke as done wonders for art too :D

I do find it odd how truly arty types can't accept they may be wrong - bit like religious zealots :bang:

Dave
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Well you've both applied your skills to the profession

Maybe he's just lucky...:p
 
treeman said:
I'm not sure taking pictures like he does and being a professional are helping the perception of our industry. I could fully understand the sentiment of someone who thinks professional photographers are a joke.
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He's not producing commercial work, so there's no parity between what he does and a commercial photographer does. His work is art based and a million miles from commercial photography. In fact, the only connection is that he uses a camera. His work is about satire and parody. It's not about technique. Yes.. he uses a snapshot aesthetic, but it's a considered approach. It's not that he couldn't take a "proper" photograph if he wanted to.

POAH said:
never heard of the bloke lol
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:) I know what you're up to.



The23rdman said:
Every master photographer gets the same treatment around here.
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I know.. quite depressing. Why does everything have to be pretty, and loaded with technical excellence. Art is about expression and art should say something. His parody of the English in "Last Resort" is just spot on. How else should have shot it? Slow shutter, 10 stop grad, light painted hdr wire wool spinning b****x? He uses a snapshot aesthetic as that's the very vehicle the people he is parodying would themselves use to record their memories of a holiday at the seaside. It's just the same with his work "Home and Abroad".. in fact, it's just a suitable way of presenting things in a no nonsense way that is immediate and eye grabbing. It's essence of photography, no garnish... and it's perfect for what he does.


DG Phototraining said:
I do find it odd how truly arty types can't accept they may be wrong - bit like religious zealots :bang:

Dave
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It's not about wrong or right though is it. I have no problem with people who just don't like it. Why would I? It's when people dismiss it as crap because they don't like it. I dislike lots of artwork... I still admire it and see its value. To dismiss everything you don't like as crap is just extremely closed minded.
 
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