Up And Down Peachtree

Up and Down Peachtree

ON LOCATION

Martin Parr

Last year, I was invited by the High Museum to come to Atlanta and take some photographs, as part of the museum's ongoing project Picturing the South.

I always relish shooting in the States—the junk food, the ever-enthusiastic people, the sheer madness, it all gets my juices flowing— and the idea of Atlanta (where I'd never been) sounded great. I could not say yes fast enough.

I decided to make two trips around two events: the Georgia State Fair in October (how could I resist the squeeze of people, animals, food, and drink into one event?); and the Atlanta Steeplechase, which is held every April. Around these two visits I also added in trips to the Centers for Disease Control, the World of Coca-Cola, CNN, and all the other icons and clichés I could find in the city.

Atlanta surprised me: I liked it a lot. It has real soul, the people are friendly, and it feels unlike any other city in the United States that I’ve been to. I created a montage of the details and bigger images that I encountered. The resulting project reflects this cut-and-paste fasttrack dream, and I’ve tried to show this spirit in the pages that follow.

Peachtree Street, as I am sure many of you know, is the main drag, cutting through downtown Atlanta. Day in, day out during these trips, I had to return to this road to get to my next location ©