International photographers bring a ‘Strange and Familiar’ focus to Britain
Britain’s doyen of domesticity might be a more apt title for the photographer Martin Parr. For over forty years, Parr has chronicled every banal facet of his homeland with his Technicolor touch – from supermarkets to seaside resorts, railways to rhubarb farmers. Now, he hands the reins over to fellow artists, stepping into the curator’s seat for a new London exhibition at the Barbican, ‘Strange and Familiar’, which explores the UK through lens of photographers from abroad.
‘It is the nucleus of this idea, the notion that many people had come to Britain since the war and have photographed here,’ explains Parr of the catalyst for the show. ‘Here we are in England and in Britain and we aren’t familiar with these pictures.’ Designed by Stirling Prize-winning, London-based firm Witherford Watson Mann Architects, the exhibition brings together a medley of images by the likes of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Rineke Dijkstra, Bruce Gilden, Paul Strand, Candida Höfer, Raymond Depardon, Shinro Ohtake, and Tina Barney.
The works are as eclectic as the countries from which the photographers originate, spanning street, documentary, portrait and architectural photography. Chilean photographer Sergio Larrain was 27 years old when he pitched up in London; here, he spent four months documenting nannies in Hyde Park, the top-hatted gentlemen of the city, pubs and more. Hans Eijkelboom, meanwhile, is presenting an anthropological visual catalogue of shoppers at Birmingham’s Bull Ring – an endless, monotonous (but intriguing) parade of women wearing ushankas, men in coated nylon tracksuits and so forth.
Japanese photojournalist Akihiko Okamura’s remarkable images of The Troubles are amongst the most compelling in the group exhibit, which occasionally feels burdened by the sheer breadth of work on show. Okamura was exiled from Vietnam in the 1960s for his provocative war coverage and found himself in Ireland, seeking out John F Kennedy’s ancestry. He eventually settled in Dublin with his family, producing a jarring body of work covering the conflict in Northern Ireland. In one image, a bouquet of pink flowers lies strewn across a pool of blood on the pavement; in another, an ominously black troop of policemen make a stand on a quaint suburban street. They’re masterful in the way they seem to embody snapshot and cinematic qualities both at once
Inevitably, similar motifs can be found threaded through the works of multiple artists. ‘Often they’re drawn in to some of the clichés that surround Britain,’ says Parr, ‘but they’ve come in and found their own little world.’ To that end, Cas Oorthuys, Okamura and Larrain – from the Netherlands, Japan and Chile respectively – all trained their lenses on the humble milk bottle. Parr adds: ‘I think you’ll see that all the photographers here have found one thing that they’ve really hooked into and that’s the thing that’s so fascinating.’
‘This is an incredible insight we can glean and learn from these photographers and often this is connected to the country’s class system,’ explains Parr. ‘You’ll find that people have honed in on the wealthy or in some cases like Robert Frank, who came to London and [captured] the businessmen there and then went down to the Welsh mines and made a complete contrast.’ American photographer Brue Davidson – who brings the first jolt of colour to the exhibition – similarly captured the mining communities of Wales.
Elsewhere, photobooks are peppered throughout the space, housed in vitrines and displayed on shelves (Parr is an avid collector). Like Parr, many of the photographers he has chosen share his innate ability to make the boring seem bold, and at times, brilliant. ‘What is it about all these photographers that we find fascinating?’ he asks, before adding, ‘I think it’s really interesting to understand and see that we are really a strange nation.’
INFORMATION
‘Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers’ runs until 19 June. For more information, visit the Barbican’s website
ADDRESS
Barbican Centre
Silk St
London EC2Y
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
The moments fashion met art at the 60th Venice Biennale
The best fashion moments at the 2024 Venice Biennale, with happenings from Dior, Golden Goose, Balenciaga, Burberry and more
By Jack Moss Published
-
Crispin at Studio Voltaire, in Clapham, is a feast for all the senses
New restaurant Crispin at Studio Voltaire is the latest opening from the brains behind Bistro Freddie and Bar Crispin, with interiors by Jermaine Gallagher
By Billie Brand Published
-
Vivienne Westwood’s personal wardrobe goes up for sale in landmark Christie’s auction
The proceeds of ’Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection’, running this June, will go to the charitable causes she championed during her lifetime
By Jack Moss Published
-
Ibrahim Mahama tells us why he has covered the Barbican in pink fabric
Ibrahim Mahama's 'Purple Hibiscus' has transformed the Barbican’s Lakeside Terrace
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Ranjani Shettar’s site-specific sculptures unveiled in Barbican Conservatory
Ranjani Shettar’s ‘Cloud songs on the horizon’ suspends sculptures amid the Barbican Conservatory’s plant life
By Francesca Perry Published
-
New Magnum Square Print Sale: what to buy, from Roger Deakins to Alfredo Jaar
The new Magnum Square Print Sale (17–23 April 2023) looks beyond the agency’s roster for the first time, inviting artists, filmmakers, and fellow photographers to join alongside Magnum Photographers
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Published
-
Olivia Arthur on expanding photography and minimising preconceptions
‘Through the lens’ is our monthly series that spotlights photographers who are Wallpaper* contributors. Here we explore the vision of Magnum photographer Olivia Arthur
By Sophie Gladstone Last updated
-
Sensuality and strength: Olivia Arthur photographs Saint Laurent for new exhibition
Olivia Arthur is one of six photographers taking part in the latest chapter of Saint Laurent’s ‘Self’ project – this time, an exhibition in collaboration with Magnum Photos. Here, she tells Wallpaper* more
By Jack Moss Last updated
-
Forty years of the Barbican Centre: an art utopia made concrete
Building Utopia: The Barbican Centre, published to coincide with the institution’s 40th anniversary, explores the birth of the Barbican, its storied history and its unparalleled impact on contemporary arts and culture
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith Last updated
-
Magnum Photos’ new Paris gallery spotlights past and future
Magnum Photos expands its footprint with a new gallery space in Paris, inaugurated with multigenerational joint show ‘Bruce Davidson & Khalik Allah: New York’
By Amy Serafin Last updated
-
Shilpa Gupta at the Barbican: social injustice, censorship and poetry
In the multipart show ‘Sun at Night’ at London’s Barbican, Mumbai-based artist Shilpa Gupta highlights the fragility of free expression and gives a voice to those silenced
By Cleo Roberts-Komireddi Last updated