Martin Parr
English, b. 1952
Gold Cup, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, 2005
Inkjet color print
20 x 30 in
2010.7.2
Museum purchase with funds from Mrs. Martha W. Smith by exchange
Collection of the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University
http://museum.marquette.edu/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalInterface&module=collection&objectId=6453&viewType=detailView

Fans create rules surrounding the correct ways to engage with a fan object. These rules may be created with positive intentions, such as uniting a fandom, protecting a fan object, or creating a consistent fan experience. However, rules can also be used to exclude or restrict access to fandom. They can be used to isolate or mock fans who engage with fan objects in non-traditional ways. It is also important to question whether these rules are coming from fans themselves, or if they are being created, influenced, or promoted by the owners of the fan object.  

Martin Parr considers the proliferation of images in society to be “propaganda,” and counters this propaganda with his own chosen weapons: criticism, seduction, and humor. Calling himself a documentary photographer, Parr focuses his lens on the wealthy. He says, “Luxury is the new poverty…  For years, the subject of documentary social photography has been poverty, whereas I think the new front line is luxury.” Focusing on leisure, consumption, and communication, Parr’s images reveal how people live, how they present themselves to others, and what they value. By selectively cropping his images, Parr invites the viewer to concentrate on humorous details that might otherwise be overlooked or appear mundane.