This member asked that their name and e-mail be witheld but said it could be revealed should anyone request it. - Brian.

Tara & Andrew - thank you very much for your kind words. It's always appreciated when you get confirmation that members enjoy what we are doing.

Thanks Matt for your kind words - This is what makes it all worthwhile!

I read Madeleine comments with interest; I personally had never heard of Martin Parr so perhaps I’m the philistine, but her words inspired me to have a look.

His creations reminded me of the many family holiday shots that we are all forced to look at from time to time.
But these were different in that the majority I found were of the “Candid” variety and showed the “Self Gratification” of the human race in different holiday situations and weren’t particularly flattering.

There was some strange picture-cropping going on, that produced some unusual compositions, which made you look at least twice. The photographic quality was at best average, and the colours were as Madeleine said, vivid and garish produced by the film type used.

Is this art or photography? Well to be honest it is a mixture of both neither on their own being particularly inspiring, but together they did make you look, and that alone is an achievement, but still, I can’t help wonder what, if at all, was all the rave reviews for, most likely some over paid “art” critic looking for his latest find declared this work as the “21st Century David Bailey”, then pulls in a fat commission!

I don't have a great problem with Parr's pictures though I hope never to emulate them.

Certainly I have seen a great deal worse imagery which has been absorbed into the history of photography as great.

Not to my taste and not really likely to enhance the reputation of Magnum I would have thought.

Would you please tell me how to find this wonder work by this super photographer, you have whet my appetite.
Colin
(Just put Martin Parr into Google - Ed)

It is very easy to tell the right sort of people that a style of 'art' is the next best thing, and they will rave about it, without necessarily thinking about it too much. I'm afraid it seems like bad holiday snaps to me. I definitely don't like it.

I'm amazed that not many of you have heard of Martin Parr.He has been around for ages, not quite as old and distinguished as Henri Cartier Bresson but following in the same footsteps. Simply by looking at other photographers work and commenting constructively helps the creative learning process even if it is not to your taste. Personally I prefer Cindy Sherman's work as her narratives are a lot stronger, but they are not the sort of photos you'd see in the EDP Sunday page. Its all Art but just suited to different audiences. Think of a concept and run with it!

My comments about Martin Parr seem to have provoked discussion which is very healthy. As Alison quite rightly said, it is important to challenge our own perceptions and explore other aspects of contempary art.

However, I don't think that Parr's images work as documentary photography and he certainly isn't in the same league as Henri Cartier-Bresson who showed true empathy with his subjects.

Many aspects of our modern, consumer driven society are vulgar, lacking in taste and idiosyncratic but Parr's joyless, technicolor visions of hell are a gross exageration of the truth.

On a positive note, I do think that his photography does have a kind of surrealist shock value which is both interesting and thought provoking.

Anyway, I shall bring my Martin Parr 'coffee table book' to the next meeting for anyone who's interested...

Regards, Madeleine