In a nondescript, run-of-the-mill, white-painted London townhouse is a world of elegance and glamour and….. Photography? 

 

Cromwell Place, only a few short minutes from South Kensington tube station, is a tall, polished three-story that blends perfectly with the identical buildings on either side of it. It is the last place that you would expect an art gallery. Only once you get past the wall-to-wall mirrors on each side of the entrance hall, the back rooms of this house contain several exhibitions that scream elegance and class with every frame. 

 

This is exactly where Martin Parr’s new exhibition, in collaboration with The Anonymous Project, lies. Beautiful, colourful photographs, each centred on an individual or place that draws the eye directly towards it until you are so fixated you can no longer look away.

 

And yet the story behind these snapshots are even more fascinating than the pictures themselves. For each professional photo, it is paired by one from an amateur photographer. This creates an interesting contrast, because at times it is almost impossible to discern which of the frames are the work of an expert, and which are not. 

 

Parr uses mixed media to display his photos. Whether that be tiny polaroid snapshots, a projector, curtain, cushions or floor rug, he creates an immersive experience that allows visitors to wander through the tiny space without feeling constricted or cramped at any point 

 

All in all, Parr’s new exhibition creates an interesting comparison between what we feel mastery is, and opens our eyes to the fact that everyone is a master in their own small way.