End of the pier show

Martin Parr has made a career out of photographing end-of-the-pier Britain. He's spent decades seeking out the brash and banal at seaside resorts, amusement arcades, cafes and shops (see Bored Couple, above) so as to document a society wallowing in the comforts of consumerism, leisure and tourism. Parr's voyeuristic and typically garish critiques of modern life earned him his coveted membership at Magnum Photos in 1994 - but only just. His work may be hugely popular with the public, but the establishment at this hallowed agency - which is famed for its searing photojournalism - grumbled that it was meaningless. So in the end, Parr sneaked in by just a single vote.

Holly Kyte