Saturated scenes of Italy – photos by Martin Parr

With the tourist months winding down in Rome, these photos by Martin Parr reflect vivid beach scenes on the Italian coasts. Known for his underexposed background and subjects lit up with flash, Martin Parr’s technique displays the obviousness, the exaggerated and ornamental parts of humanity. In Italy, Parr seems captivated with two aspects of Italian culture: the bright, rocky beaches and the booming, albeit necessary, world of glitzy tourism.

Born in 1952, Martin Parr has succeeded in anthropologically exploring the world for what it is – in all its absurdity. He’s known for his satirical look at classist struggles and burgeoning Western culture. His photobook on mass tourism, “Small World,” depicts images from 1987 to 1994. While decades old, we can still revel in the silliness depicted in these photographs. From a sea of posers at the Tower of Pisa to a mound of eye-catching, glittery plastic Colosseums, Parr’s photos leave you to question and reflect on what any seasoned Roman is all too familiar with: tourism.

-Kirby Caraballo