British photographer Martin Parr turns his lens on Oxford University’s lesser-known quirks
The Hong Kong exhibition of ‘Martin Parr: Oxford’ explores the institution’s ancient traditions and modern students’ antics
There’s no doubting the credentials of Britain’s Oxford University.
Dating back to 1096, it is one of the oldest universities in the world, with a long list of notable alumni, including 72 Nobel Prize laureates and 160 Olympic medallists. It has also churned out 28 British prime ministers, making it something of a training camp for leadership. Bill Clinton and Aung San Suu Kyi have spent time wandering its halls.
As for famous Oxonians in the arts world, there are too many to name. But start with: J.R.R. Tolkien, Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, C.S. Lewis, Iris Murdoch, Vikram Seth, T.S. Eliot, V.S. Naipaul, Ken Loach, Michael Palin …
But what goes on behind the scenes at Oxford – still struggling to shed its reputation as an elites-only stomping ground – is a mystery. Enter British documentary maker and photojournalist Martin Parr.
From 2014 to 2016, Parr turned his lens on the day-to-day life of the university, its work, play and rituals, some of which are hundreds of years old and archaic. And Hongkongers can see 59 shots from this body of work, titled “Martin Parr: Oxford”, at an exhibition in Wan Chai’s f22 foto space.
