…on white male privilege
A ‘Tissue of Lies’ refers both to the easily demolished lie of privilege based on ‘natural order’, and to my understanding of the historical meaning of the term – Silk was originally known as a ‘tissue’ and the expression alludes to a dense weave of lies which are difficult to penetrate and untangle.
The tissue acts as a visual metaphor, exploring identity as multi layered and complex, and that the narratives of legitimacy and privilege we weave are not natural but constructed around power, authority and control.
This collection of photographs uses torn tissue to draw attention to this construction of identity. The tissue is shown in relation to elements of the natural world and to portraits of white European men, stressing that all identity is manufactured and what seems natural is ideological
In light of the ‘#metoo’ and other campaigns I hope that this work contributes to the debates on the misuse of power in a world dogged by inequality.
Click any image for the gallery
mattsillars.com 