Martin Parr: MexicoFor much of his career, Martin Parr has specialized in skewering the eccentricities and peculiarities of his native Great Britain--in particular those having to do with food, tourism, bad fashion choices and . . . more food. Mexico is Parr's first new thematic series to be published in book form since 2002, a distinct geographical departure, and in part a greater departure as well. Parr is struck not only by Mexican culture, but also by the clear impact of America's pop culture and economy on Mexican life--the juxtaposition of Mickey Mouse with brightly colored saints, Nike logos with Day of the Dead skulls and Coca Cola with cacti. Here viewers are in recognizable territory with Parr's colorful close-ups of food, hats, signs and souvenirs, garishly shot with medical efficiency--but Mexico also includes some straight records of human faces, images that capture photographer and subject in the act of mutual contemplation. These moments of mercy are one with the underlying theme of Parr's more ironic work, calling up equally the corruption of authentic cultural forms by global consumer culture, which he both critiques and celebrates. As Parr puts it, "What I am saying is that it's a good and a bad thing. I'm constantly trying to express ambiguity. And that's what photography does very well." |
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26 February adidas anti-Gringo sentiment aperture foundation www.aperture.org artists Aztec battle of cultures Boring Postcards bound in Italy brands of global brilliant observer Bukowski Bukowski's Dilemma China clichés of Mexico collected by museums contemporary photography country's catholic vernacular critic and iconoclast cultures being fought democracy dilema de Bukowski director of Replicante Distruta Coca-Cola foundation www.aperture.org ISBN FRUTA PLASTICA ADVERTENCIA Getty Museum global consumerism globalisation HALLOWEEN humorist including Common Sense including the Getty Indians language of Mexico level-between the country's lives in Bristol lives in Guadalajara Luis Villoro Magnum Photos Marlbo Marlboro Marlboro Martin Parr Martin Parr's journey McDonald's member of Magnum Metrosexual Cowboys Mexican cultural critic Mexico City museums worldwide NAFTA observer and satirist pesos photographic exploration politicians polymath of contemporary Replicante magazine Rogelio Villarreal satirist of consumer Spanish street level-between Susana Zabaleta tamale Tate Modern television there's Think of England thirty photography books Tijuana Vanessa Bauche Virgencita Virgin of Guadalupe