Global Warning - by Martin Parr (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Martin Parr puts the world to rights in this comprehensive catalogue of five decades of his photographs, published to accompany a major exhibition at Jeu de Paume in Paris

For over fifty years Martin Parr has photographed the absurdities of the contemporary world, from the frenzy of over-consumption and the ravages of mass tourism to humanity's increasing reliance on technology and our complex relationship with the animal kingdom.

By turns critical, satirical, surprising, and funny, Global Warning is published in association with Jeu de Paume to accompany a new major exhibition of Parr's photography at the arts centre in Paris in January - May 2026.

Richly illustrated with more than 175 of his photographs, from his early black-and-white work in the raucous holiday parks and sleepy supermarkets of rural England to his more recent colour photography of bustling tourist attractions and must-see destinations from across the globe, Global Warning offers a reinterpretation of Martin Parr's work and position in a time of widespread global disorder.

Featuring a tone-setting introduction by Quentin Bajac, director of Jeu de Paume, four further essays by Jean-François Staszak, Roberta Sassatelli, Violette Pouillard, and Adam Greenfield, experts in the fields of geography, sociology, wildlife conservation and urban design, put the selection of works into context and explore the important topics that seem immediately relevant to our everyday lives.

Showcasing many of Parr's most renowned images alongside rarely published hidden gems, Global Warning presents more than five decades of incisive visual commentary from one of the world's most celebrated photographers.

About the Author

Martin Parr's distinctive style has established him as a leading cultural commentator in contemporary photography. Since the 1970s, he has depicted subjects ranging from consumerism and British identity to the art of the self-portrait, and his insight and originality is universally admired. Parr has published over 120 photobooks, and his work has been recognized with major awards and over 100 exhibitions worldwide.

Quentin Bajac is director of Jeu de Paume, an arts centre in Paris dedicated to contemporary photography and media. He was previously chief curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Jean-François Staszak is a full professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

Roberta Sassatelli is a full professor of sociology in the Department of History and Cultures at the University of Bologna in Italy.

Violette Pouillard is a permanent research fellow at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and visiting professor at Ghent University in Belgium.

Adam Greenfield has spent the past quarter-century thinking and working at the intersection of technology, design and politics with everyday life. In 2013 he was selected as Senior Urban Fellow at the LSE Cities centre of the London School of Economics.