Dark Tales at Martin Parr Foundation Probes Gothic Undercurrents in British Documentary Photography
The exhibition 'Dark Tales: British Documentary Photography and the Gothic' is set to commence on 17 September 2026 at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol, continuing until 20 December. Curated by Isaac Blease, it delves into Gothic elements within documentary photography through a collection of 5,000 prints, divided into four sections: 'The Castle', 'Domestic Bliss', 'Night Creatures', and 'Double Take'. Notable pieces include Sarah Pickering's 2008 work 'Incident', postwar photographs by Bill Brandt and Lee Miller, 1970s images of Stoke-on-Trent by Janine Wiedel, and Martin Parr's photograph from a 1988 Conservative Party fundraiser. The exhibition links the roots of Gothic literature during the Industrial Revolution to contemporary fears surrounding technology, culminating with John Myers' 1976 piece 'The Bed', which leaves viewers in a state of ambiguity.
Key facts
- Dark Tales: British Documentary Photography and the Gothic runs 17 September to 20 December 2026 at Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol.
- The exhibition draws on the Martin Parr Foundation's 5,000-strong print collection.
- It is curated by Isaac Blease, who previously organized ONE YEAR! Photographs from the miners' strike 1984–85.
- The show is divided into four chapters: 'The Castle', 'Domestic Bliss', 'Night Creatures', and 'Double Take'.
- Featured photographers include Sarah Pickering, Bill Brandt, Lee Miller, Janine Wiedel, Anna Fox, Martin Parr, Jo Spence, Terry Dennett, Chris Shaw, Jim Dow, Donovan Wylie, John Myers, Colin Jones, and Akihiko Okamura.
- Sarah Pickering's 'Incident' series (2008) documents simulated fire-service training environments.
- Donovan Wylie's 2002–03 photograph depicts a cell at The Maze/Long Kesh Prison in Northern Ireland.
- Blease spent a year and a half curating the exhibition, focusing on atmosphere, metaphor, and suggestion.
Entities
Artists
- Sarah Pickering
- Isaac Blease
- Bill Brandt
- Lee Miller
- Janine Wiedel
- Anna Fox
- Martin Parr
- Jo Spence
- Terry Dennett
- Chris Shaw
- Jim Dow
- Donovan Wylie
- John Myers
- Colin Jones
- Akihiko Okamura
- Don McCullin
- Charlie Phillips
Institutions
- Martin Parr Foundation
- Magnum Photos
- Jo Spence Memorial Archive
- The Image Centre
- TopFoto
- Hauser & Wirth
Locations
- Bristol
- London
- Covent Garden
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Sunderland
- Derry/Londonderry
- Northern Ireland
- The Maze/Long Kesh Prison
- The Howard Hotel
- United Kingdom
- England
- Britain
- Ireland
- Consett
- Kensal Rise