Highland fling: Martin Parr scours loch and glen in an ode to Scotland
What do you think of, when you think of Scotland? This is the question Martin Parr puts to us in his latest book of photographs, taken in Scotland over a period of 25 years, the third in his series contemplating cultural clichés today. (So far, he has captured England and Germany with his camera).
Parr doesn’t set out to either deconstruct those cliches or set new stereotypes – instead, he gives us his view of a nation that is both changing and staying the same, through portraits of Scottish society that are at times sentimental, and at others searing and sharp.
Parr first went to Scotland as a tourist, but has continued to return regularly to shoot its landscapes and people: his photographs of the country now constitute his largest archive – published for the first time in the book. His love of both the scenery and the Scots is clear in the photographs he has selected for the book, a visual narrative that takes you from the drizzly streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh to the remote islands, and age-old traditions such as the Highland games, agricultural fairs and bagpiping – never seen quite as you think you know it.
When the photographer thinks of Scotland, he says, ‘I think of the imagery to be found in this book, many are on the fringes of being clichés.’ The photographs are also memories of people and places, personal records; Parr explains, ‘This is why I take photos, these are the moments I want to remember.’
With Scotland’s recent politics, what has he observed about Scotland, looking back on these images and his visits there over the last two and a half decades? ‘Scotland is both in flux and is at the same time is quite stable.’ Though the publication is complete, his relationship with Scotland is not over. ‘I have shot many images since and am going to the Orkney island this summer.’
INFORMATION
Think of Scotland, £30, published by Damiani Editore. For more information, visit Martin Parr’s website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Charlotte Jansen is a journalist and the author of two books on photography, Girl on Girl (2017) and Photography Now (2021). She is commissioning editor at Elephant magazine and has written on contemporary art and culture for The Guardian, the Financial Times, ELLE, the British Journal of Photography, Frieze and Artsy. Jansen is also presenter of Dior Talks podcast series, The Female Gaze.
-
Molly Goddard on creating a community of contemporary brides
As new Molly Goddard bridal wear is released, the designer talks about creating romantic but real wedding dresses, while three recent brides tell the stories behind their own Goddard gowns
By Jack Moss Published
-
Palazzo Roma embodies the heritage of Roman noblesse
Palazzo Roma, part of the Shedir Collection, boasts eclectic and eccentric interiors by Giampiero Panepinto
By Luke Abrahams Published
-
Boise Passive House’s bold gestures support an environmentally friendly design
Boise Passive House by Haas Architecture combines sleek, contemporary design and environmental efficiency
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
‘Package Holiday 1968-1985’: a very British love affair in pictures
‘Package Holiday’ recalls tans, table tennis and Technicolor in Trevor Clark’s wistful snaps of sun-seeking Brits
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Sinta Tantra’s sculptures find a historic home at Pitzhanger Manor, UK
Sinta Tantra’s ‘The Light Club of Batavia’ exhibition at Pitzhanger Manor unites her large and small-scale works and explores the duality of beauty and colonialism
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Jonathan Baldock’s playful works bring joy to Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Jonathan Baldock mischievously considers history and myths in ‘Touch Wood’ at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
By Anne Soward Published
-
‘Art Exposed’: Julian Spalding on everything that’s wrong with the art world
In ‘Art Exposed’, Julian Spalding draws on his 40 years in the art world – as a museum director, curator, and critic – for his series of essays
By Alfred Tong Published
-
Marisol Mendez's ‘Madre’ unpicks the woven threads of Bolivian womanhood
From ancestry to protest, how Marisol Mendez’s 'Madre' is rewriting the narrative of Bolivian womanhood
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Kerry James Marshall donates first portrait, of Skip Gates, to Fitzwilliam Museum, UK
Kerry James Marshall's portrait of the literary critic, writer and filmmaker is his first of a real, rather than an imagined, sitter
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Turner Prize 2023 exhibition unwrapped: inside Towner Eastbourne
The Turner Prize 2023 exhibition has opened inside the colourful Towner Eastbourne; delve into the work of the four nominees
By Malaika Byng Published
-
Madelon Vriesendorp’s ‘sculptural interventions and playful ideas’ at The Cosmic House
A Madelon Vriesendorp exhibition opens at The Cosmic House in London, surprising and delighting visitors with its ‘sculptural interventions and playful ideas‘
By Will Jennings Published