[Leica] Parr

[Robert Appleby <robert.appleby@tin.it>]

Of course Parr's work is informed by ideology, just as any documentary or,
for that matter, art photography. See my previous rants about orientalism.

I would object to Parr in that he's got to the point where even rather
mediocre snappery is still lauded as insightful, significant work. Take his
recent book about world tourism. This is a fascinating, rich subject. But
do his pictures really make the most of it? I don't thnk so. Too many
pictures of Hard Rock Cafe T-shirts in front of the Vatican, postcards and
the usual array of dweebs with (figurative) snot dripping from their noses
in significant locations. It's sad that he didn't make a better go of it.
He certainly has the talent. His British Seaside resort snaps are brilliant.

Magnum seems to have rather lost its way, but on the other hand there
really isn't that much of a market anymore for straight in-depth
documentary photography. 

Rob.