Utterly Lazy and Inattentive

Martin Parr, Wendy Jones

ISBN 10: 0847876462 / ISBN 13: 9780847876464

Published by Rizzoli International Publications, US, 2026

About this Item

Martin Parr is the brilliant, understated, enigmatic British artist who transformed photography as we know it. As the world s leading documentary photographer, he has spent decades observing, ironizing, questioning, and celebrating modern life, and his photobooks take us from Scotland to Australia, Senegal to California, and everyone from his 740k Instagram followers (15% US) to former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele and Elton John (who is a big Parr enthusiast having used a series of Parrphotographs as the backdrop for his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour). Parr is unusual a titan of the art world who is also beloved by the general public. In his bid to capture the brilliant, bittersweet absurdity of modern life, he transformed art photography with his compositions of deadpan, mundane snippets of life rich in humor, irony, and questioning. It was Parr who brought outdoor flash and color into the exhibition room (and was promptly expelled by Magnum Photos for doing so he later became Magnum s president). He has received numerous prizes and lifetime achievement awards all over the world. He also uses his platform to champion emerging photographers through the Martin Parr Foundation, and his work is, in turn, celebrated and supported by younger artists. The book features two master storytellers Martin Parr and the oral historian Wendy Jones joining forces to create a uniquely vibrant portrait of one of the world s best photographers. What follows is a journey only Martin could devise: a journey which, in one hundred carefully selected pictures and stories, will showcase the extraordinary depth and range of Martin s work; and tell the story of Martin s life, his practice, and his philosophy (as well as his collection of Saddam Hussein watches).

Seller Inventory # LU-9780847876464

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Utterly Lazy and Inattentive
• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications, US
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0847876462
• ISBN 13: 9780847876464
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

A landmark visual memoir by of one of the world’s most important photographers who straddles the worlds of fine art and popular culture.

Brilliant, understated, enigmatic, transformative . . . as one of the world’s leading documentary photographers, Parr is celebrated for observing, ironizing, questioning, and celebrating modern life and contemporary society, holding a mirror to the public. With a massive following on social media, Parr has legions of celebrity fans ranging from Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele to Elton John, who is such an enthusiast that Parr’s photos were the backdrop for his recent tour.

Unlike previous Parr books that focused on broad sociocultural themes, this volume is a carefully curated selection of Parr’s images designed as a visual memoir. It showcases the depth and range of his work while exploring his life story, practice, and philosophy.

Parr is unique: taken seriously by the art world yet enjoying mass popularity. In his bid to capture the brilliant, bittersweet absurdity of modern life, he has made art photography accessible with compositions of deadpan, mundane images rich in humor and irony.

About the Author

Martin Parr CBE has published numerous books based on photodocumentary projects and is best known for The Cost of Living, Small World, and Common Sense. The Martin Parr Foundation houses his archive and collection of prints and books. It is a hub for exhibitions, screenings, and events that promote young artists. Wendy Jones is a writer whose work has been reviewed in The New York Times, The New Yorker, London Review of Books, The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Observer, The Daily Mail, Vogue, and Elle.