British photographer Martin Parr, famous for his iconic depictions of life in the United Kingdom, has died aged 73, his studio announced Sunday.
First modification: 07/12/2025 - 18:59
“It is with great sadness that we announce that Martin Parr (1952-2025) passed away yesterday at his home in Bristol,” the Martin Parr Foundation said in a statement.
Although the announcement did not specify the circumstances of his death, The Guardian newspaper reported that Parr had been diagnosed with cancer in May 2021.
He is survived by his wife Susie, daughter Ellen, sister Vivien and grandson George.
“Martin will be deeply missed,” the statement added.
Parr worked for Magnum Photos for many years.
He rose to fame in the mid-1980s with The Last Resort, a series made between 1983 and 1985 that showed people enjoying themselves at the seaside resort of New Brighton, near Liverpool.
In a February interview with The Guardian's Miranda Sawyer, Parr said he always knew — even as a child — that he would be a photographer.
"I knew I was going to be a photographer since I was 13 or 14, and even then I knew what I was good at. I was obsessive about photography. All artists are obsessive, I think."
When asked how he would define his style, he responded: "It's the bright color palette and getting very close to the subject. Color helps take a step beyond reality. I guess that's part of my vision,' sounds a little pretentious. And humor. Life is fun. I try to bring that to the images."
Although Parr traveled the world during his extensive career—taking photographs in places ranging from North Korea and Albania to Japan and Russia—he spoke of especially enjoying everyday settings like supermarkets.
He continued working into his 70s and recently published his latest book, an autobiographical collection of photographs accompanied by wry commentary titled Utterly Lazy and Inattentive.
The title comes from a stern school report from his French teacher when he was 14 years old.
In an interview with AFP published last month, he argued that the world has never needed the kind of satire present in his images more, as many people have too much money and lead unsustainable lifestyles.
“The state we are in is horrible,” he said in Paris. "We are too rich. We consume all these things in the world. And we can't. It's unsustainable."
This article is an adaptation of its original in English
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