Photos, Coffee, Cake - Dark Tales UK Documentary Photography & the Gothic @MPF

Join me for a look at the Dark Tales - British Documentary Photography and the Gothic exhibition, which explores the relationship between Gothic themes and British documentary photography, featuring images spanning more than 80 years, from post-war Britain to the present day. The photographs reveal declining industries, claustrophobic domestic scenes and unsettling nocturnal activities, exploring how photography evokes emotions such as fear and fascination.
Afterwards we’ll go for refreshments at the nearby Miro Café.
Cost: Free entry to all.
We’ll meet just outside the door of the Martin Parr Foundation. We don’t use a Meetup sign. I carry a silver backpack handbag. If you’re late, you’ll need to find us in the exhibition.
Please look at the event page the night before and the morning of the event, in case of any updates.

From their website

"Dark Tales: British Documentary Photography and the Gothic

With images spanning a period of more than 80 years, Dark Tales explores the complex relationship between the Gothic and British documentary photography, depicting Britain from the post-war to the present era. The photographs in the exhibition reveal waning industrial powers, claustrophobic domestic scenes, and menacing nocturnal activities.
Dark Tales brings together a selection of renowned images alongside lesser-known photographs, primarily selected from over 5,000 prints in the Martin Parr Foundation collection by curator Isaac Blease. The emerging, playful narrative shows a resilient yet haunted place. It illustrates photography’s role in visualising emotions such as fear and fascination while amplifying the Gothic principle that horror thrives in proximity to the familiar.
Interest in the Gothic resurfaces during times of uncertainty, and documentary photography itself is in a dark moment, with its purpose and role in question, public distrust of photographers, and the existential threat posed by artificial intelligence. This moment of turmoil presents intriguing conditions to explore the Gothic imagination as a relevant lens through which to re-examine the medium, while also enjoying the ambiguity of images and the multitude of meanings they evoke.
The exhibition includes work by Kjell-Åke Andersson, Bill Brandt, Anna Fox, Robert Frank, Don McCullin, Lee Miller, John Myers, Akihiko Okamura, Sue Packer, Martin Parr, Charlie Philips, Sarah Pickering, Alice Poyzer, Jo Spence, Janine Wiedel and Donovan Wylie, amongst others.
The exhibition is part of the Bristol Photo Festival 2026 programme.

About the Martin Parr Foundation

The Martin Parr Foundation is a gallery, library, studio and archive centre supporting the photography community through exhibitions and events.
Address: Martin Parr Foundation, 316 Paintworks, Bristol BS4 3AR.
Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday, 10am–5pm. The gallery is normally closed Monday to Wednesday.
Entry: Free entry to exhibitions; no ticket is needed.

Getting there

By train: The nearest railway station is Bristol Temple Meads, approximately a 25-minute walk or a 7-minute drive away. There is a taxi rank outside the station.
By bus: Bus services 1, 57, 349 and X39 stop at the Paintworks bus stop. Services 1, X39, 178 and 349 also serve Paintworks from Temple Meads station.
By bicycle: There is a path for cyclists and pedestrians connecting Bristol Temple Meads to the Foundation via Sparke Evans Bridge, and bike racks are available outside the building.
By car and parking: Public parking is available in three paid car parks at Paintworks, approximately 2–5 minutes’ walk from the Foundation. Charges and time limits vary by car park, and accessible parking spaces are available. Additional parking is available within a 5–10-minute walk at the local Sainsbury’s. Please check the parking signs for current tariffs and conditions. Avoid parking on Edward Road and Chatsworth Road, which are residents’ parking streets.
What3Words: The entrance to the Martin Parr Foundation is at winter.shut.moss. The website also provides What3Words locations for the accessible ramp and lifts.
Once you reach Paintworks, follow the directions to Photohub, where you will find the Martin Parr Foundation.
For further information, please visit the Martin Parr Foundation website and the Dark Tales exhibition page."
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