x003 . Martin Parr

"Leisure, consumption and communication are the concepts that this British photographer has been researching for several decades now on his worldwide travels. In the process, he examines national characteristics and international phenomena to find out how valid they are as symbols that will help future generations to understand our cultural peculiarities. Parr enables us to see things that have seemed familiar to us in a completely new way. In this way he creates his own image of society, which allows us to combine an analysis of the visible signs of globalisation with unusual visual experiences. In his photos, Parr juxtaposes specific images with universal ones without resolving the contradictions. Individual characteristics are accepted and eccentricities are treasured."

"Martin Parr sensitises our subconscious and once we've seen his photographs, we keep on discovering these images over and over again in our daily lives and recognising ourselves within them."

Thomas Welski

Luxury
Martin Parr

"This series of photographs shows the different ways people display their wealth."

"Traditionally the portrayal of poverty has been the domain of the "concerned photographer", but I photograph wealth in the same spirit. When the new emerging middle classes demand and receive the luxury goods that so many of us take for granted, it will put considerable pressure on the world's resources. We are seeing the first manifestations of this: soaring oil prices brought on in part by exceptional demand from China and India; food prices escalating as crops are diverted into biofuels."

"When the photographs are exhibited these things are not always stated, but I am happy to share the ultimate political motive behind the new body of work."