Kitsch or not Kitsch
History
- 21/07/2016 -
Kitsch qualifies the culture of the offbeat and old-fashioned objects or styles that populate our daily lives. From the Neapolitan tablecloth, to the cuckoo clock, or the old hero figurines. This culture brings together all these low-end products from another era with the sometimes garish colours that can be found in flea markets but also in our living rooms.
But kitsch is not only limited to objects, it can also be about habit and backdated routines. Among the photographers who have taken an interest in this movement is the famous Martin Parr, who specialized in portraits of the English middle class. Born in Surrey, England in 1952, Martin was passionate about photography from a very young age.
He will be the first to immortalize so-called commonplace behaviour on the beach, in the streets or at work. Opting for an ironic and sarcastic style, his prints testify to the popular and old-fashioned habits of a British society at the time of Margaret Thatcher. The characters glorified in these pictures reflect the true face of the people, with their overload of material and bad taste. Depicting lifestyles that surround us, the clichés allow us to laugh at ourselves, thanks to the fine line that separates our reality and its works.
"It's not my photographs that are kitsch, it's the world that is kitsch" - Martin Parr.
LAPS is inspired by kitsch for these two editions: the Dogmonaut representing astronaut dogs as well as the Catimini and her cat dressed as a lady of the 60s.
Banner picture: Jeff Koons.