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dual screen dvd installation 2004 In The Gallery By Bill Jeffries T h i n k o f E n g l a n d is a s e l e c t i o n o f t h i r t y photographs from a b o d y of work with that t i t l e m a d e b y M a r t i n Parr b e t w e e n 1 9 9 5 a n d 2003. P a r r l i v e s in B r i s t o l a n d is a m e m b e r o f M a g n u m , t h e g l o b a l p h o t o a g e n c y b a s e d in N e w Y o r k , L o n d o n a n d Paris. H e h a s p h o t o g r a p h e d Britain o v e r t h e past t w e n t y years w i t h a singular relentlessness. O n e result o f his p u r s u i t o f t h e B r i t i s h is t h a t his i m a g e s are n o w ' t h e ' E n g l a n d t h a t w e think w e k n o w a n d r e c o g n i z e . Yet, t h e y d o n ' t l o o k like a n E n g l a n d t h a t w e h a v e e v e r s e e n in p i c t u r e s before. Parr's f r a m i n g , a n d his u s e o f f o r e g r o u n d e d f r a g m e n t s , c a p t u r e s in s p a t i a l f o r m w h a t w e k n o w c o g n i t i v e l y e x i s t s in t h e s o c a l l e d r e a l w o r l d . It is t h e s t r u c t u r e , as m u c h as t h e s u b j e c t s o f his p h o t o g r a p h s t h a t h a v e e s t a b l i s h e d h i m in his p o s i t i o n a s t h e p r e e m i n e n t s o c i a l d o c u m e n t a r í a n in B r i t a i n . Julie Henry, Martin Parr, Nina Toft Photography Exhibit. June 11 to July 31 at the Presentation House Gallery Three Shows From T h e UK Focus O n Sport, Leisure, C o m m u t i n g Presentation H o u s e Gallery (PHG) will h i g h light w o r k b y t h r e e UK artists f o r t h e s u m m e r , each analyzing a different aspect of three key s o c i a l s p h e r e s t h a t m o s t p e o p l e e n g a g e in e v e r y d a y o f t h e i r lives - s p o r t , leisure a n d c o m m u t i n g t o w o r k . M a r t i n Parr, J u l i e H e n r y a n d Nina Toft c o m e f r o m three very different parts o f Britain b u t their w o r k has an o v e r l a p p i n g fascination with the mass m o v e m e n t s of people through the contemporary world. E a c h is a s o l o e x h i b i t i o n a n d e a c h a r t i s t has their o w n u n i q u e take o n h o w best t o convert the p h e n o m e n a of these somewhat m u n d a n e e v e r y d a y activities into art t h a t will inform future generations about what 'we' w e r e like. Parr's E n g l a n d is c h a r m i n g in a n o t h e r - w o r l d l y way, s o m e t i m e s d e c a y i n g b e f o r e o u r eyes, p r o d u c t - o b s e s s e d , arcanely ritualistic a n d , overall, a place w h e r e t h e seagulls look healthier than the p e o p l e . Demographically, Parr s h o w s u s E n g l a n d ' s d e f e n d e r s o f E m p i r e , its m o r e r e c e n t a r r i v a l s , a n d its y o u t h , all a t t h e i r l e i s u r e , a n d all s u r r o u n d e d b y t h e d e t r i t u s t h a t t h e y h a v e l e f t b e h i n d in t h e i r s e a r c h f o r a b e t t e r life. E n g l a n d is E n g l a n d b u t M a r t i n Parr's E n g l a n d is n e i t h e r T r a c e y E m i n ' s n o r Bill B r a n d t ' s E n g l a n d . S i n c e 1 9 8 3 , w h e n Parr s t a r t e d t a k i n g p h o t o g r a p h s in N e w B r i g h t o n , a s l i g h t l y p a s t its b e s t - b y - d a t e s e a s i d e r e s o r t o u t s i d e o f L i v e r p o o l , his v i s i o n h a s b e c o m e p a r t o f t h e p u b l i c r e c o r d as w e l l as t h e g l o b a l p h o t o graphic vocabulary. S o m e have said that Parr's i m a g e s a r e ' b r u t a l l y r e a l ' , b u t o n e c o u l d a l s o say t h a t t h e y r e a l l y o n l y p i c t u r e w h a t is t h e r e , a n d t h a t a n y b r u t a l i t y is n o t in t h e p i c t u r e s , b u t in t h e w o r l d t h a t is his s u b j e c t . It is a w o r l d t h a t w e a r e l e a r n i n g t o s e e in Parr's manner. T h e s e s u m m e r s h o w s are p a r t o f a larger V a n c o u v e r - w i d e initiative called "UK Today: A N e w View", with other projects taking place at t h e Vancouver A r t Gallery this s u m m e r a n d A r t s p e a k G a l l e r y in t h e fall - in a d d i tion t o theatre and music events throughout t h e year. J u l i e H e n r y ' s w o r k is v i e w e d in r e l a t i o n t o s p o r t a n d r e c e p t i o n t h e o r y , N i n a Toft's in r e lation t o the cinema of Orson Welles a n d the u b i q u i t y o f s u r v e i l l a n c e c a m e r a s in t h e UK. M a r t i n P a r r h a s m a n y b o o k s p u b l i s h e d o n his w o r k , s e v e r a l o f w h i c h w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e in t h e P H G s h o p , b u t b e c a u s e P H G is n o t c r e a t i n g a b o o k f o r his s h o w h e r e , I w o u l d like t o d e s c r i b e his p r o j e c t in this article. July | August 19