Martin Parr shows the real faces of middle England

Nov 19 2010 By Alison Jones

Photographer Martin Parr’s candid shots of the public are on show at The Public. He speaks to Alison Jones.

I would argue that photographing the interior of a supermarket is just as important as photographing wars or famine,” says acclaimed chronicler of our age Martin Parr.

It is a bold stance and one that put the noses of the old guard at Magnum – the elite co-operative of photojournalists famed for being on the front line of world events – out of joint when he joined their ranks nearly two decades ago.

But it was exactly this enthusiasm for the ordinary that made him the perfect choice to capture a year in the life of the Black Country.

He was invited to take on the project by West Bromwich-based community arts agency Multistory, and the resulting show Black Country Stories goes on display at The Public in West Bromwich until January 2011.

“I didn’t know the Black Country so when the invitation came I was very keen to take it up,” says Parr, who is based in Bristol. “I’m a nosy person and I thought it’d a great opportunity to explore the area.”

He admits he came armed with cameras and preconceptions.

“I knew the traditional industries were in decline and that it was quite a run down area. That was a starting point. But there was a lot I wasn’t aware of – like the regeneration with the new communities moving in, such as the Polish community, and the incredible number of temples.

“That is what we concentrated on, the new ethnic communities balanced with the declining industrial past.”