Small World: Martin Parr

When Martin Parr and I decided to present an exhibition at the gallery running parallel to the one at the Jeu de Paume, we faced an agonising choice. And, although it had been the subject of a dedicated chapter in the Global Warning exhibition, the Small World series struck us both as the obvious answer. Over the years, we had already shown the black-and-white Early Works prints alongside Tony Ray-Jones, colour work in its entirety, and fashion with Fashion Faux Parr. Small World therefore seemed like a natural path forward. Photographing overtourism was one of Martin Parr’s great passions — one that drove him right up until the end of his life. First published in 1993 under the title Home and Abroad, then as Small World in 1995 — translated into French successively as Quel monde ! (Marval, 1995) and Petite Planète (Hoëbeke, 2008) — this series was enriched and revisited throughout Martin Parr’s life. In it, he documented the ultimate pleasure of ordinary people, according to a contradiction all too familiar to us: driven by the search for authenticity, we tourists are the very agents of its disappearance. Rushing to miss nothing, consuming on demand a dream that was once out of reach. And for our own satisfaction, mimicking absurd habits and gestures — right down to the ultimate selfie — we become victims of our own joke. Classic Martin Parr. As with each of our collaborations, we had searched together through his Bristol archive for a number of vintage prints — those with subtly faded tones that give them the flavour of time. As always, a brief negotiation with the master was required; he always found it difficult to part with prints he had kept so carefully for so long. In the very particular relationship that was ours, built over recent years with a certain urgency to create alongside this immense artist who knew his time was limited, trust lay at the heart of our exchanges and our decisions. The exhibition was completed by a number of modern prints, some made during his lifetime and others produced posthumously, in strict accordance with instructions he had set down years ago — regarding print size and editions. In the many interviews Martin Parr gave at the gallery, the question of the future came up time and again. « I am in the departure lounge of life », he would say, and he spoke of what lay ahead through the lens of his Bristol foundation, his studio team and their capacity to carry his work forward, his wife Susie Parr, his grandson George who has just turned three, and of course Ellen and Holly. We treasure the moments spent in their company — a way of trying to fill the immense void he has left behind. And there is this other reality: since his passing last December, Martin Parr has never been spoken about more. Libération, Le Monde and Le Figaro announced his death on their front pages; there was a surge of popular feeling across social media; the success of his exhibition at the Jeu de Paume has set a new attendance record for the museum; and the final collaborations launched during his lifetime are coming to fruition one after another. Along with future projects, which we continue to carry forward with the desire, the energy, and the trust that bound us together.

 

Clémentine de la Féronnière