After Britain (Think of England, 200O), Mexico (2004-2006) and Luxembourg (LUX, 2009), now it’s Paris’s turn to give Martin Parr carte blanche. For nearly 35 years, the association Paris Audiovisuel and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie have given renowned photographers the opportunity to present their unique visions of the capital. Past participants include Henri Cartier-Bresson, Edouard Boubat, William Klein and Bruce Davidson. For two years, Martin Parr roamed the city, covering the highlights of life in Paris: Bastille Day, the opening of Paris Plage, fashion shows and the Air Show at Le Bourget airport.
The result is a set of sixty photographs which are featured at the MEP. We go from a hard-boiled egg on a café counter to the furs of forty somethings at fashion week. Many of the photographs are reminiscent of Parr’s early work, especially the ones taken during an April 2011 residency at the Institut des Cultures de l’Islam, for which Parr spent a week in the working-class Paris neighborhood of La Goutte d’Or. The photographs of places of worship have a more documentary aspect than his later work, which focuses on consumer kitsch. He still retains his taste for the garish, but he was careful to suppress it when photographing the faithful at prayer.
Vidéo producted by Molly Benn / Ourageis13.com during opening view to MEP
Paris – Martin Parr
March 26 – May 25, 2014
MEP
Maison Europpéenne de la Photographie
5-7 rue de Fourcy
75004 Paris
France
Tél. : 01 44 78 75 00
