Martin Parr: Beach Therapy

Parr's fresh take on his beloved beach theme

During his long career as a photographer, Martin Parr has always photographed beaches, particularly in the UK. The beach is more than just a common subject for Parr; he has often used the beach as a laboratory to experiment with new cameras and techniques. For example, when Parr switched from working with black-and-white film to medium-format color in the early 1980s, he tested out his new approach on the beaches of New Brighton, a run-down seaside resort near Liverpool.

In recent years Parr has started exploring the beach with the aid of a telephoto lens. This lens is rarely used in the world of art and documentary photography, and Parr has experimented to find new ways to use its unique visual qualities, for example by incorporating the vegetation on the perimeter with the beach as a backdrop, both in and out of focus. Martin Parr: Beach Therapy focuses on this new body of work, the latest in his long experimental engagement with beaches and their users.

British photographer Martin Parr (born 1952) is one of the best-known documentary photographers of his generation. The author of more than 90 books and the editor of 30 others, he has firmly established his photographic legacy. His influence in contemporary photography extends beyond his personal photography practice: he has curated many photography festivals and exhibitions and is a former president of Magnum Photos (of which he has been a member since 1994). Parr’s work is in the collections of many major museums, including the Tate, Centre Pompidou, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.