Martin Parr, Photographer of Tourists with a Wry Sense of Humor, Dies at 73

"Martin Parr, a photographer known for pictures of tourists that were both genuinely curious explorations of their lifestyle and wry indictments of it, has died on December 6 at his home in Bristol, England. His death was announced on Sunday by the namesake foundation that he founded in Bristol in 2017. Though the foundation did not specify a cause, Parr was diagnosed with myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer, in 2021."

"Parr was among the most famous photographers of his generation. Know best for his pictures of sunbathers and sightseers, he published countless photobooks and did fashion shoots for Vogue, Gucci, and various other brands. Though his subjects varied widely, Parr's photography was always characterized by a certain crassness and a fascination with "low" culture. Depending on how you looked at his work, it was either unironically interested in its subjects or shrewdly critical of them."

"From either perspective, the politics of his art was always opaque, which is one reason it could be seen from so many angles. Parr will next year be the subject of a retrospective at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris that is themed around how he pictured climate change and overtourism. (Parr claimed that French audiences were always more receptive to his work than British ones, telling the Guardian, "they love photography more, they buy prints, they review shows.")"

Martin Parr died on December 6 at his home in Bristol, England. His foundation announced the death and said it will work with Magnum Photos to preserve and share his legacy. Parr was diagnosed with myeloma in 2021 and was reported in remission while continuing chemotherapy. He became one of the most prominent photographers of his generation, known for images of sunbathers and sightseers, numerous photobooks, and fashion shoots for Vogue and Gucci. His photography emphasized a crass aesthetic and fascination with "low" culture, with politics that remained ambiguous. A retrospective at Jeu de Paume will examine his depiction of climate change and overtourism. He is best known for the 1983–85 series "The Last Resort," photographing bathers at New Brighton Beach, including an image of a bather flopped on sand behind a dirtied tractor.

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