Martin Parr’s Iconic ‘Common Sense’ Photo Series is Being Exhibited Again 27 Years on

Common Sense, one of the late photographer Martin Parr’s most ambitious and influential projects, will be presented at the Bristol Photo Festival this month.

Parr, considered one of most influential photographers in history, passed away in December at 73 following a multi-year battle with cancer.

Parr served as Artistic Director of the inaugural Bristol Photo Festival and remained on the festival’s Board until 2025. To celebrate his lasting contribution to the event and his role in shaping its vision, his groundbreaking photographic project Common Sense will be exhibited from October 16 to November 15, 2026, as part of the Bristol Photo Festival.

First presented in 1999, Common Sense takes a candid and often humorous look at everyday excess, social stereotypes, and the culture of global consumerism. Bringing together photographs made around the world, Parr focuses on the details of ordinary life, from food and fashion to souvenirs, animals, and consumer goods.

The series is filled with vivid, saturated images of everything from tacky clothing and jewelry to junk food and kitsch souvenirs. Using a 35mm camera, ring flash, and macro lens, Parr gets unusually close to his subjects, turning seemingly insignificant objects and details into striking portraits of contemporary life. These portraits can be funny, absurd, and even grotesque, while also revealing the excesses and contradictions of consumer culture.

The Largest Simultaneous Photo Exhibition Ever

When it was first presented 27 years ago, the radical nature of Common Sense extended beyond the photographs themselves. Parr rejected the traditional idea of the photographic print as a precious exhibition object, instead presenting the work as inexpensive color Xerox prints. The process, more commonly associated with office and commercial printing, allowed the photographs to be reproduced cheaply and easily, challenging conventional ideas about how photography should be exhibited and distributed.

The exhibition was equally unconventional in its scale. Rather than appearing in a single gallery, Common Sense was shown simultaneously around the world. In April 1999, it was presented in 41 galleries across five continents, with 44 venues in total hosting the work during March, April, and May. It was recognized as the largest simultaneous photography exhibition ever organized and an experiment in how photography could be reproduced, exhibited, and shared on a global scale.

Common Sense will be presented at Bristol Photo Festival’s Welcome Building from October 16 to November 15, 2026. Admission is free, with donations welcome to support the festival and its ongoing work.