Art / Bristol Photo Festival
Bristol Photo Festival 2021 – Island Life: A portrait of Britain
Opening on May 18, Island Life: A portrait of Britain is one of the first exhibitions to launch as part of the inaugural Bristol Photo Festival.
Showing at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery alongside Beyond the Frame and Lips Touched with Blood, the exhibition draws upon photographs from the Martin Parr Foundation collection to show the “changing fabric of our cities, society and collective identities”.
“The exhibition includes photographs which document moments of historical significance including the poll tax riot, the Aberfan mine disaster and most recently, the BLM movement,” say festival organisers.
“These will be displayed alongside images depicting the everyday – weddings, shopping, football and Butlin’s holidays.
“Island Life traces the evolution of documentary photography in Britain, the photographers who influenced Parr and the younger generation he is influencing in turn.”
Slumbering Boy I © Sian Davey courtesy Martin Parr Foundation
GB. Wales. Aberfan Coal Slip Disaster. Two surviving children stand at the top of the hill overlooking the miners digging to find children still buried in the slag. Over one hundred children in the apparent safety of their school were buried under the waste of a sliding coal tip. 1966.
I thought I saw Liz Taylor and Bob Mitchum in the back room of the Commercial, South Bank, 1984. © Graham Smith courtesy Martin Parr Foundation
Family Christening, Norris Green, Liverpool, 1989 © Ken Grant courtesy Martin Parr Foundation
Ferryquay Gate, Derry, silver gelatin print, toners and watercolours, 1989 © Victor Sloan courtesy Martin Parr Foundation
Summer Street Party, 2018 © Clementine Schneidermann and Charlotte James courtesy Martin Parr Foundation
Cookie In The Snow, Lynemouth, Northumberland, 1984 © Chris Killip Photography Trust courtesy Martin Parr Foundation courtesy Martin Parr Foundation
Handsworth Riots: Birmingham, UK 1985, © Pogus Caesar/OOM Gallery Archive. All Rights Reserved courtesy Martin Parr Foundation
Bristol24/7 is Bristol Photo Festival’s local media partner.
Main photo: Tired drink picture, from ‘Looking for Love’, 1985 © Tom Wood courtesy Martin Parr Foundation
Read more: Bristol Photo Festival’s summer 2021 exhibitions to launch
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