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New Brighton Creative Futures CIC has announced plans to create a major seafront mural in tribute to Martin Parr, one of Britain's most influential photographers who died in December 2025 aged 73.
According to Birkenhead News, the artwork will be in collaboration with the Martin Parr Foundation. The artwork will stand on the New Brighton seafront, which Parr made famous in his 1986 series The Last Resort. He visited the town during 1983 and 1985 to capture it. However, the work was viewed with controversy, with some accusing the photographer of being obsessed with class and trying to paint the resort in a bad light with his photographs. At the time, New Brighton wasn't as popular and was considered to be in decline by many. Many also thought Parr was being "voyeuristic" by photographing people and the area like that.
According to Magnum, Parr said of his work: "I realised pretty early on that controversy didn’t do you any harm. And now of course it’s seemed to have all settled, and people are much more appreciative of that body of work than they were in the 80s".
The tribute will also form part of New Brighton OpenAir Gallery. These are collections of large-scale murals around the town, which put the town on the map for its street artwork.
People can donate through GoFundMe, or visit the NBCF website. Local and regional businesses can also sponsor the tribute.
Rory Wilmer, creative director and founder of New Brighton Creative Futures CIC, said: "Martin Parr saw something in New Brighton that the rest of the world had overlooked, and he turned it into some of the most important photographs Britain has ever produced.
"When he passed away, we felt that loss as a town. This mural is our thank-you – a way to keep him here, on the seafront he loved, for generations to come. We'd be honoured if the people of New Brighton would help us build it."
Jenni Smith, director of the Martin Parr Foundation, added: "Martin was often asked which photographs he considered his best work; the answer was always the same: the images from The Last Resort. New Brighton, its community and the photographs he made there, always held a special place in his heart."
She concluded by calling the mural "poignant", as it will overlook the town, as Martin did with his camera once before.
