Martin Parr: Strange and Familiar at the Barbican London

Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers explorers how Britain is seen by the lenses of foreign photographers. The show has been curated by Martin Parr one of the world’s most prolific documentary photographers and president of the Magnum Photo agency.

Jim Dow‘s images of shops from the 1980s – 1990s

The work on show spans almost a century with images from: Henri Cartier-Bresson from the 1930s to Bruce Gilden’s floor to ceiling portraits shot in the last few years. The show is huge using both floors of the Barbican Gallery and includes the work of 23 photographers, so it’s a really diverse.

Henri Cartier Bresson prints

The way the work is displayed vary varies. There are original Paul Strand prints from the 1950s, in stark contrast to Strand’s work there is a projected peace by Hans Eijkelboom showing a seemingly never ending sideways scrolling set of images. Hans shot for a total of 24 non consecutive days in Birmingham’s Bullring to build up a visual record of it’s inhabitants. The work is organised into sets like: denim, tops with numbers, checked shirts etc. It’s half and hour long and really impressive although airing on the side of OCD.

Self portrait in mirror by Edith Tudor Heart – Caledonian Market London 1935

Jim Dow‘s work will feel very familiar to anyone who is a fan of Martin Parr’s work, he has a set of images depicting independent shops from the 1980s to the 1990s. There is something in this show that will invoke a sense of nostalgia in anyone who grew up in the UK.

Japanese photographer Akihiko Okamura came to Northern Ireland in 1968 to trace John F Kennedy’s family history but ended documenting the troubles instead.

Strange and Familiar is at the Barbican Art Gallery until 19th June. Tickets are £12 for adults, concessions available. There is also a book of the work from the show called ‘Strange and Familiar’ which is available from Amazon UK (£23) here and Amazon US ($60) here.

I attended the press viewing with Lomography UK and they lent me a Petzval 58mm lens (which I reviewed back in May 2015), I managed to get some nice intimate portraits with some of the exhibiting photographers which you can see below.

Hans Eijkelboom shot on a Petzval 58mm

Jim Dow shot on a Petzval 58mm

Raymond Depardon shot on a Petzval 58mm

Tina Barney shot on a Petzval 58mm

Bruce Gilden shot on a Petzval 58mm

Martin Parr shot on a Petzval 58mm