The Easel

17th July 2018

New Brighton Revisited by Martin Parr, Tom Wood, and Ken Grant

New Brighton is a beach resort in England with faded prospects. Photography of its decline has been controversial. Parr, the first to show the seismic changes occurring in this part of Thatcher’s Britain, was accused of “defeating” the town. Others have trodden more carefully, perhaps at the cost of self-censorship. Ironically, some locals hope to regenerate the area through the arts.

10th July 2018

The Seventh Wave

Engaging essay by Magnum photographer Trent Parkes about his images of Australia’s celebrated beach life. “It was the ultimate candid photography. No one even knew we were there as they battled to swim, surf and survive the waves. We would … shoot a single frame, maybe two if we could stay down long enough, before being tossed head over heels by the power of the ocean.”