Martin Parr CBE, the famed British documentary photographer hailed as “a giant” of his craft, has died aged 73.
The Martin Parr Foundation announced his death in a statement on their website on Sunday saying: “It is with great sadness that we announce that Martin Parr (1952-2025) died yesterday at home in Bristol.
“He is survived by his wife Susie, his daughter Ellen, his sister Vivien and his grandson George. The family asks for privacy at this time.
“The Martin Parr Foundation and Magnum Photos will work together to preserve and share Martin’s legacy.
“More information on this will follow in due course. Martin will be greatly missed.”
Parr was recognised in the Queen’s 2021 birthday honours with a CBE for services to photography and was “one of the best-known documentary photographers of his generation”, according to a description on his foundation’s website.
Parr, who was born in Surrey and based his career in Bristol, had been a member of Magnum Photos since 1994 and was president from 2013 to 2017.
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In 2017, Parr established the Martin Parr Foundation as a home for British photography.
‘A giant of photography’
In a quote about his style on a dedicated page on Magnum, Parr said: “With photography, I like to create fiction out of reality. I try and do this by taking society’s natural prejudice and giving this a twist.”
His work has been collected by some of the world’s leading museums, including the Tate in the UK, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Martin Parr in an undated photo from I Am Martin Parr. Pic: PA
The British Journal of Photography paid tribute to him, with a statement saying: “A giant of photography, Martin Parr helped foster a seachange in documentary at Magnum Photos and went on to publish scores of photobooks and win retrospectives at Barbican Art Gallery and Jeu de Paume, Paris.
“He also championed other image-makers, supporting them through his collection and through his publishing activities and gallery space.”
