The Easel

16th December 2025

Remembering Martin Parr (1952–2025)

After getting married, Martin Parr increasing directed his photography toward capturing the mundane aspects of British life. His seminal work, The Last Resort, featured seaside holiday makers in situations where “hope and promise don’t quite match reality”. While some praised his “pin-sharp satirical genius” others called him a “cynical smart-arse”. He seemed untroubled by the furore, responding that his work was “social documentary. I make serious photographs disguised as entertainment.”

9th December 2025

Tyler Mitchell: the photographer of the moment

Mitchell shot his first Vogue cover – of Beyonce – at age 23, an indicator of his precocious talent. Now 30, he has a high-profile career that straddles fashion and fine art. His focus is on Black style and beauty, often featuring black figures in playful or leisurely moments that contrast with charged media imagery. Having grown up in the worlds of skateboarding and music, he is hyper-aware of image. “It becomes about how we present ourselves culturally. The clothes kind of become this other thing”.

Protest Photography

London has witnessed street protest for ever. What do photographs of those events tell us? One writer thinks they are a valuable record of social history – who knew that the National League of the Blind protested in 1920 for better rights?  The meaning behind some images is not always clear – police surveillance photos sometimes resembled those taken by the protesters. Claims this writer, the show affirm that “we are here, we are alive, we matter”. Says another it is “an exhibition stuck in the past”.