Exhibition

A Tissue of Lies

Matt Sillars

Inverness College UHI

06 Nov - 08 Dec


"A Tissue of Lies refers both to the easily demolished lie of privilege based on ‘natural order’, and also to my understanding of the historical meaning of the term – Silk was originally known as a ‘tissue' and the expression plays on the idea of a dense weave of lies which are difficult to penetrate and untangle. This worked well for me as a way to explore how identity is multi layered and complex, and that the narratives of legitimacy and privilege we weave are constructed around power, authority and control.

The small collection of photographs in the show use a piece of tissue to draw attention to the construction of identity. The tissue is shown in relation to elements of the natural world and to portraits of white European men. Although the work is minimalist and abstract, I hope that the images and the title will continue to provoke conversations.

In light of the ‘#metoo’ campaign this work may be seen as a glib response, but I hope that it contributes to the debates on the misuse of power in a world dogged by inequality. I also hope to continue to develop the body of work and keep responding to the issues which the ‘privilege’ debate raises.” - Matt Sillars

Venue

Inverness College UHI
Inverness
IV2 5NA

Matt Sillars
© Matt Sillars