Martin Parr

Martin Parr has generously produced a photograph from his series The Last Resort as a limited edition to coincide with the exhibition, The 80s: Photographing Britain, at Tate Britain, 21 November 2024 – 5 May 2025.

Parr’s limited edition for Tate was taken in the Liverpool suburb of New Brighton in 1984 and is part of a series of 40 photographs titled The Last Resort. Shot with a medium format camera and daylight flash, the photographs are an early example of Parr’s characteristic saturated colour, influenced by the American colour photography of William Eggleston (born 1939) and Garry Winogrand (1928-84). The photographs comprising The Last Resort were taken between 1983 and 1985, a period of economic decline in northwest England. They depict a crumbling seaside resort with holidaymakers pursuing pleasure on crowded beaches and in video arcades, beauty competitions, tea rooms and chip shops. The series was exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery, London and published as a book in 1986, and was instrumental in establishing Parr’s reputation as a photographer.

Each print is signed and numbered by the artist. Prices of the artwork are liable to change. As a limited edition sells out, prices of the artwork are subject to increase and the price will be clearly indicated.

• Artist Martin Parr
• Artwork From The Last Resort series, New Brighton, England, 1984
• Exhibition The 80s: Photographing Britain
• Dimensions 27.9 x 35.6 cm (11 x 14 inches)
• Material Archival pigment print on photo paper
• Edition Limited edition of 50, signed and numbered on the back
• Date of work 2024

Martin Parr (b. Epsom, Surrey, UK, 1952) is a documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known internationally for his photographic projects that take an intimate look at aspects of modern life, in particular documenting the social classes of England.

Selected exhibitions include Common Sense, various venues worldwide, 2000; Retrospective, Barbican, London, UK, 2002; Parrworld, Haus de Kunst, Munich, Germany, 2008; The Rhubarb Triangle and Other Stories, The Hepworth Wakefield, UK, 2016; Only Human: Martin Parr, National Portrait Gallery, London, UK, 2019. He has curated photography festivals including the Brighton Photo Biennial, 2010, New York Photo Festival, 2008 and Rencontres D’Arles in 2004, where he was Guest Artistic Director. In 2016, he curated the exhibition Strange and Familiar, Barbican, London, UK. From 2013 to 2017, Parr was president of Magnum Photos. In Autumn 2017, he opened the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol with the aim of supporting and promoting photography from the UK.

He has received numerous awards including the Erich Salomon Prize at Photokina, 2006, the Baume et Mercier award at PhotoEspana, 2008, and the Sony World Photography Award for Outstanding Contribution to Photography, 2017. Parr was awarded a CBE in June, 2021. He received an honorary degree from the University of South Wales, 2023. Parr has published over 120 books of his own work. He lives and works in Bristol, UK.