SAINT LAURENT Montaigne presents Autoportrait, a selection of works by British photographer Martin Parr, curated by Anthony Vaccarello, on view from October 15 to January 13, 2027.
Born in 1952 in the United Kingdom, Martin Parr developed an interest in photography during childhood, encouraged by his grandfather, George Parr. He went on to study photography at Manchester Polytechnic, where he became fascinated by photographers such as Tony Ray-Jones, Garry Winogrand, as well as the colour postcards of John Hinde. Following his studies he undertook numerous photographic projects, gradually developing the style and approach to social documentary that would make him a major figure in international photography.
His work explores the absurdity of everyday life and the contradictions of contemporary society, often focusing on tourism, consumption, leisure, food, holidays, and crowded public spaces. Recognizable by its saturated colors, direct flash, tight framing, and unusual details, his style turns the mundane into something humorous and striking. Rather than staging his subjects, Parr generally photographs people and situations as he encounters them, capturing spontaneous gestures and moments of absurdity that often raise deeper questions about social habits and contemporary ways of life.
In 1994, Martin Parr joined Magnum Photos, one of the world’s most prestigious photographic cooperatives, and later served as its president from 2013 to 2017. In 2002, the Barbican Art Gallery and the National Media Museum in the United Kingdom organized a major retrospective of his work, which then toured Europe for five years. In April 2017, he received the Sony World Photography Award for Outstanding Contribution to Photography. That same year, the Martin Parr Foundation opened in Bristol to support emerging, established, and lesser-known photographers whose work focuses on Britain and Ireland.
From 1996 to 2015, Martin Parr turned his travels into self-portraits, taken by professional photographers, local amateurs, or photo booths. Mixing retouched images, exotic backdrops, and disguises, the series plays with the codes of tourism and shows Parr’s irony. Presented in major exhibitions, including the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Autoportrait series was also published as a small photobook. For this occasion, SAINT LAURENT Montaigne will host works from the series, including: MARTIN PARR, SINGAPORE, 2007; MARTIN PARR, LONDON, ENGLAND, 2008.
Martin Parr previously collaborated with Saint Laurent under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello, most notably through the 2025 campaign An Ordinary Day.
Martin Parr died on December 6, 2025, leaving a lasting legacy in contemporary photography, through which his unique style continues to influence the way society and artistic identities are perceived.
© MARTIN PARR / MAGNUM PHOTOS. COURTESY OF GALERIE CLÉMENTINE DE LA FÉRONNIÈRE
EXHIBITION DATES :
SAINT LAURENT MONTAIGNE
15.10.26 - 13.01.27
37 AVENUE MONTAIGNE, PARIS