Friends have been asking me who my photographic influences are lately. I would love to respond with Ansel Adams, however, although I love Adams, I do not gravitate towards beautiful landscapes. I prefer the odd, the ugly, and the absurd. I have several influences; Martin Parr is at the top of my list. Parr’s work has inspired me for years. His ability to capture the essence of the mundane suburban experience has pushed me to turn my camera on friends, family, strangers, and even myself at times. I aspire to take photographs that are as boring insightful. Parr's website is a great place to get to know his work. There are several other online resources as well:Mobil Phones is a flash enabled installation showing Parr’s obsession with people who talk on cell phones. It is outstanding.
Martin Parr We Love You is a flickr site devoted to his work.
Martin Parr Photographic Works 1971 – 2000 is a NMPFT site from an 2003 – 2003 show of his work.
The Martin Parr profile at the BBC
A Lens Culture 10 minute interview with Parr (it is worth a listen)
The photograph shown above is called Common Sense. It is my favorite Parr photograph.
