MARTIN PARR - Death by selfie

MARTIN PARR
Death by Selfie

Published by Super Labo, 2019
Pages 62 pages
Hardcover binding
Book size 17.4 x 8.7 cm
First edition

Continuing his exploration of tourism on a global scale, Martin Parr dedicates a new photobook to the selfie.

"Here is an unproven statistic: India is the world leader for selfie taking. The only potential competitor would be China, with a similarly large population, but if you refer to the 'Death by Selfie' statistics, India is so far ahead, there is no real competition. It is probably wise to assume that if more people are killed by a phenomenon, then more of this activity must be taking place. 2017, 68 were killed by selfies. Many of the deaths occur when other people step in to try and rescue the selfie taker washed away by freak waves. cliff edge. However to India's great credit this figure dropped substantially in 2018, down to a mother 2 deaths. The authorities in India are aware of this hazard, and for example in Ooty at, the popular boating lake, all selfies are. banned whilst boating, this despite the mandatory instruction to wear a life belt. But on the beach of Goa, it is impossible to look around without seeing a selfie being taken. The selfie stick purveyors are also circling round and these are offered constantly along with a massage, pineapple and all of the other items and services that are available to the beach-goer. The other observation I would make is that very rarely do selfies come singing; a typical sequence would have many dozens of options perused, and sometimes these extended sessions can take a good ten minutes. I am not sure how the editing takes place, or indeed if these selfies get saved and downloaded. Another novelty for me is that people often request to have a selfie with me because I am a Westerner and of course I agree. So there must hundreds of images of Martin Parr floating in Indian cyberspace, untraceable self-portraits that will never be recognized. On my quest to photograph the huge business of tourism, the introduction of the smart phone and subsequently the selfie stick have changed the ritual of a tourist visit in a dramatic fashion. I could not ignore this phenomenon and is celebrated in this small collection of images, where most are taken in India, and few other locations thrown in for good measure."
Martin Parr May 2019

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Continuing his exploration of global tourism, Martin Parr has dedicated a new photo book to the theme of the selfie.

"Here's an unproven statistic: India is the world leader in selfie taking. The only potential competitor would be China, with a similar population, but if you go by the "Selfie Death" statistics, India is so far ahead, there's no real competition. It's probably wise to assume that if more people are being killed by a phenomenon, then more of that activity must be happening. In 2015, 27 people died while taking selfies. In 2016 and 2017, 68 were killed by selfies. Many of the deaths occur when others intervene to try to save the selfie-taker who has been swept away by freak waves. People also die by getting too close to a raging fire or often by backing off the edge of a cliff. However, to India's credit, that number dropped significantly in 2018, to just 2 deaths. Indian authorities are aware of this danger and, for example, in Ooty, the popular boating lake, all selfies are banned while boating, despite the mandatory instruction to wear a lifebelt. But on the beach in Goa, it is impossible to look around without seeing a selfie being taken. Selfie stick vendors also circle around and these are constantly offered along with massage, pineapple and all the other items and services available to beachgoers. The other observation I would make is that very rarely do selfies come alone; a typical sequence would have several dozen options cycled through, and sometimes these extended sessions can take a good ten minutes. I do not know how the editing is done, or even if these selfies are recorded and uploaded. Another novelty for me is that people often ask to have a selfie with me because I am a Westerner and of course I agree. So there must be hundreds of images of Martin Parr floating around in Indian cyberspace, undiscovered self-portraits that will never be acknowledged. In my quest to photograph the huge business of tourism, the introduction of the smartphone and subsequently the selfie stick changed the ritual of a sightseeing trip in a dramatic way. I could not ignore this phenomenon and it is celebrated in this small collection of images, where most are taken in India, and few other places are thrown in for good measure.
Martin Parr May 2019