Le Jeu de Paume Presents a Unique Reinterpretation of Martin Parr’s Work
Bringing together nearly 180 works, “Global Warning” takes a fresh look at the work of Martin Parr, who passed away recently. In light of the current turmoil of the world, the exhibition highlights various series produced from the late 1970s to the present day.
Without resorting to activism but with unwavering consistency, Martin Parr has spent his career crafting a striking portrayal of the planet’s disparities and the aberrations of our lifestyles. Through his numerous series, which began in the British Isles and Ireland and then expanded to all five continents in the 1990s, recurring themes have emerged: the turpitude and ravages of mass tourism, car domination, technological dependence, consumerist frenzy, and our ambivalent relationship with nature. With his unique and offbeat perspective, Parr indirectly addresses several major causes identified as contributing to the climate disruptions of the Anthropocene: excessive use of transport, consumption of fossil fuels, global overconsumption, and environmental damage. A seemingly light-hearted life’s work, which, with time and the evolution of mentalities, may prove to be more serious than it appears.
In light of his entire body of work, Martin Parr’s use of irony and derision places him in the tradition of British satire, which seeks to reveal the paradoxes of our society. At the same time, the Jeu de Paume is presenting the first major exhibition in France dedicated to South African photographer Jo Ractliffe. At the opening of these must-see exhibitions, we met exhibition curators Quentin Bajac and Clémentine de la Féronnière, Martin Solveig, Alice Moitié, Lee Shulman, Louie Banks, JWLS, Susie and Helen Parr, and others.
Photos: Ayka Lux
