Mass appeal

Martin Parr's images can make you laugh, cringe and even feel a little nauseous. For over 30 years, they have pitilessly captured the populist end of contemporary culture (particularly luxury, leisure and tourism) and rendered them faintly ridiculous. Like a photographic pop artist, he puts the banal and everyday on a pedestal - whether it's an artificial beach in Japan (above), a local Christmas party or a garish postcard from his collection - and relies on our feelings of recognition to elicit both amusement and sheer embarrassment. And as a result, Parr is one of the most popular photographers working today, loved by the masses he so gleefully satirises.