Instagram @the.anonymous.project @martinparrstudio
Martin Parr & The Anonymous Project
by Lee Shulman
UNITED KINGDOM
Martin Parr, British photographer known for his incisive and often ironic view of contemporary society, has collaborated with The Anonymous Project, an initiative founded by Lee Shulman in 2017.
The Anonymous Project preserves and celebrates anonymous vernacular photographs from the 20th century, capturing intimate, everyday moments. This unique partnership merges Parr's sharp social satire with The Anonymous Project's nostalgic and humanistic approach, exploring themes of collective memory, intimacy, and identity through images that are both personal and universal. Together, they redefine the boundaries of documentary photography, blending humor, melancholy, and reflections on modern society.
• SERIES •
Déjà View
An exhibition based on the book, Déjà View, by Martin Parr and Lee Shulman, published by Textuel in 2021.
A playful conversation between two important photographic archives, the book - and now the exhibition - consists of pairs. For each work by Martin Parr, there is a paired image from the Anonymous Project’s collection of found amateur photographs, taken between the 1950s and 80s.
The pairings are set in diverse settings and situations from across Europe and America. Featuring holidays, celebrations, and people from all walks of life, the photographs represent some of Parr’s most iconic works in dialogue with vernacular photography at its finest, captured in different locations and eras, but often bearing striking, or whimsical similarities.
Martin Parr’s archive of 50,000 photographs captures stereotypes and society with an unmistakable eye for the quirks of ordinary life. “It’s very difficult to take a good photograph of ordinary, everyday life. That’s what I like to try and do, it’s what motivates me to get out and about with my camera. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get a good picture, but there’s always a chance you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
