The Sublime Found In The Ordinary

Picture walking into an art museum. What do you see? The first thing that comes to mind is likely the artwork, not the people engaging with it. Could it be that when the onlooker becomes the subject, art feels less of a spectacle and more like a mirror of human nature? Find out more in The Sublime Found In The Ordinary

Image on left-hand side: GB. England. New Brighton. From ‘The Last Resort.’ 1983-85. I AM MARTIN PARR – © Martin Parr Magnum Photos

The camera has been a pivotal asset in recording human history. Not only can it freeze a moment in time, but it does so quickly and efficiently. Before its invention in the 19th century, the most convenient way to capture a memory was by painting it, which took hours, if not days. Which sounds more ideal: snapping one moment a dozen times in a matter of seconds or posing still for hours to achieve one painting per month?

Given the costly amount of time and effort spent producing a portrait, documenting a memory was primarily reserved for those who could afford it. This, of course, only covered a small fraction of society. Imagine how many significant moments were not recorded simply because one did not have the means or the time to do so. This is one reason why the camera changed everything. 

Thanks to the gift of photography, the art world expanded beyond the bounds of elitism and embraced more of the ordinary. After all, sublime moments exist everywhere, and affluence or royalty is not required to produce a meaningful image. 

GB. England. West Yorkshire. Calderdale. Hebden Bridge. Wedding at Crimsworth Dean Methodist Chapel. 1977. I AM MARTIN PARR – © Martin Parr Magnum Photos

Still, historically, a lot of art glorified those with the wealth to support it. In the circumstances where others were given a spotlight, it was often through a non-sympathetic lens. The camera brought about a form of democratisation to the world of art.

GB. England. New Brighton. From ‘The Last Resort.’ 1983-85. I AM MARTIN PARR – © Martin Parr Magnum Photos

When people see themselves represented in a work of art, it often equates to feeling seen by the artist, by the gallery displaying it, and by those who appreciate it.

London-based curator Samantha Manton has organised a new exhibition at Two Temple Place, addressing inequities within the arts, including artists pigeonholed or overlooked. 

The exhibition, running until April 20, 2025, features over 150 works of sculptures, ceramics, film, photography, and paintings exclusively from working-class artists and artists with working-class backgrounds. Titled ‘Lives Less Ordinary: Working-Class Britain Re-seen,’ the exhibition provides more than just a fraction of society with the feeling of being seen.

“Our exhibitions tell stories that are not being told elsewhere. As well as showcasing collections from outside London, we also share stories of people and communities who are underrepresented within the arts and arts organisations. So many of the objects in collections today are representative of middle and upper-class lives, and rarely those of people from working-class backgrounds. Live Less Ordinary strives to redress that balance, challenging both the elitism of the arts sector and the exuberant opulence of the Neo-Gothic building itself.”

Rebecca Hone, Head of Culture & Community, Two Temple Place

GB. England. New Brighton. 1984. I AM MARTIN PARR – © Martin Parr Magnum Photos

Like those at Two Temple Place, British photographer Martin Parr has honed the ability to find precious moments within everyday life. Realness is refreshing, and presenting real moments as art changes the historical rhetoric that art is exclusive.

ITALY. Venice. A tourist takes a picture while pigeons surround her. 2005. I AM MARTIN PARR – © Martin Parr Magnum Photos

Born in 1952, Parr is one of his generation’s most well-known documentary photographers. He has published over 100 books and curated two photography festivals: the Arles Photography Festival in 2004 and the Brighton Photo Biennial in 2010. According to Parr’s website, he was introduced to photography through his grandfather, an amateur photographer. He would lend Parr a camera, and they would shoot and process the film together.

“I’ve always treated all social classes in the same way. In any case, after The Last Resort, I realised that the class least documented by photography in British society was the middle class. It was obviously less interesting than the poor and the rich. And then it was mine…”

Martin Parr

Parr has documented his surroundings, particularly within the United Kingdom, since the 1970s. While many agree that Parr’s photographs mirror human nature, a lot of his pieces were initially deemed controversial. This was likely due to the uncomfortable conversations sparked from his photos, which captured fragments of the world often overlooked. His contemporary works, whether critical or celebratory, document what many consider to resemble their daily lives.

GB. England. New Brighton. A couple in a cafe. 1985. I AM MARTIN PARR – © Martin Parr Magnum Photos

The new film I AM MARTIN PARR, released in the UK and Ireland on February 21, 2025, chronicles director Lee Schulman and Martin Parr on a reflective road trip across England. The film revisits key points in Parr’s career, literally and figuratively, and allows viewers to witness Parr’s artistic process.

Between exclusive archival footage and interviews with various individuals in Parr’s life, Schulman and Parr go from Parr’s hometown in Bristol to the seaside resort of New Brighton, where Parr reshoots one of his most prominent works, ‘The Last Resort.’

“He is something of an enigma. He works totally outside the constraints of the photographic world and is an eternal rebel and outsider. He is his own master and his influence is undeniable. No one I have ever met is quite like Martin. His interest in the human condition is insatiable!”

Lee Schulman

‘Ordinary’ may not be the first thing you expect to see when you walk inside an art exhibit, but it is undoubtedly the first thing you see when you exit. Isn’t it a welcome change when the two are combined?

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