-Parr states that most images we see are propaganda, usually consumerist. He wants to show people the funny flaws of the world to make daily life possible. Martin states he his a documentary photographer, and therefore its his responsibility to speak to the times we live in. Personal (often exaggerated) interpretations of the world around him. He plays on the language of commercial photography (flash, bright colours).
-He became interested in photography through his grandfather, and decided he wanted to be a photographer in his early teens. Something interesting that Parr states in relation to his initial interest in photography is that, to be an artist of any kind, you must be obsessed. I think there is a lot of truth to this. When I’m in my more obsessed periods of my practice I find that is when I have my best ideas and make my better work.
-The camera as a way of seeing changes through time.
-Photographing non-conformist chapels: He did this in the 70s. Initially photographed a number of chapels on their anniversaries, then focused on a particular rural chapel. For him this was useful in reconnecting to a sense of community that he possessed in his childhood but had lost later on.
-Parr suggests his black and white photography is more “gentle” than his colour photography. He switched to colour in the early 80s, beginning with his project The Last Resort. He wanted to show the contrast between the shabbiness of this resort/town and the domestic life surrounding it. He says that nearly every artist has just one project that they are really known for, and this is his. I guess that this seems to be true, atleast with the well renowned artists (like Robert Frank and The Americans).
Photographs from The Last Resort:
-“Creating a fiction out of reality.”
-He finds that the middle ground in photography used to be ignored, but states today there is a more personal (and therefore middle ground) approach taken by photographers - like choosing to photograph their own family.
-Parr states that his first priority is to make an entertaining picture, and that there are different things going on in the photographs for those who want to discover it. When he is editing his pictures he likes to chose images with a bit of ambiguity and that capture his contradictory feelings towards a topic.
-Using a telephoto lens, which is normally associated with journalism and sports photography. A telephoto lens allows you to zoom in very far. He has been using this type if lens on beaches now.
-“To achieve a good photograph you need to take a lot of bad photos. I have many more bad photos than good ones… the thing about photography is you have to be there before it happens. It’s difficult to define how a good picture functions, but you sort of know when it happens.”
-He believes the ideal platform for photographers is to produce a book.