Celebrated British documentary photographer Martin Parr, known for his colourful and critical eye on modern life, has died at his home in Bristol
LONDON: Renowned British documentary photographer Martin Parr has died at his home in Bristol, his foundation announced. He was 73.
Famous for his kitschy, colour-saturated images capturing all aspects of British life and beyond, Parr had a sharp eye for mundane oddities.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that Martin Parr (1952-2025) died yesterday at home in Bristol,” a statement on The Martin Parr Foundation’s website said.
The statement noted he is survived by his wife Susie, his daughter Ellen, his sister Vivien and his grandson George.
It added the foundation and Magnum Photos will “work together to preserve and share Martin’s legacy”.
No further details around the circumstances of his death were provided.
Parr had previously revealed being diagnosed with myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
Photographer Diane Smyth, editor of the British Journal of Photography, called him an “international legend” of the field.
“A giant of photography, Martin Parr fostered a seachange in documentary at Magnum Photos,” she wrote in a tribute.
Although he travelled the globe, he was best known for his unvarnished, warts-and-all depictions of Britain.
He confided to AFP in 2019 to having “a love-hate relationship with the British”.
“I love the country… the hate is from the bigotry, xenophobia that caused the Brexit vote,” he explained.
Parr relished picturing everyday settings like supermarkets, village fetes and coffee meets.
His work often served as a critique of modern consumer culture, which made him a controversial figure.
Late French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson was among those who tried to block Parr’s entry into Magnum.
Parr kept working into his 70s, recently releasing his latest autobiographical book, “Utterly Lazy and Inattentive”.
Born and raised in Surrey, he was inspired by his grandfather and chose photography as a teenager.
“Once I tried colour, I never looked back,” he told AFP in 2022, following decades of acclaim.
London’s Barbican Art Gallery and Paris’s Jeu de Paume were among notable venues to stage retrospectives of his work.
In an interview last month, he argued the world has never been more in need of the satire captured in his images.
“The state we’re all in is appalling,” he told AFP in Paris. “We’re all too rich. We’re consuming all these things in the world. And we can’t. It’s unsustainable.” – AFP
