I’m afraid of violence, but I’ve often submitted to it
Gareth Phillips
Is violence an integral quality of the human condition? Is violence inevitable in an egalitarian society? Does our mass media environment conjure an echo chamber of violent acts and reprisals? I’m afraid of violence, but I’ve often submitted to it, is a book installation that focuses on society’s vicarious relationship with violence. It provokes the viewer to question their role as spectator, or witness, when confronted with violence, and asks if that decision, conscious or not, contributes to the perpetuation of violence in contemporary society. Using real scenes encountered in the city of Cardiff, this 106-page book questions the cross-pollinating roles of the photographer, the subject, and the viewer, as they transpose between being spectator or witness.
About Artist
Gareth Phillips
Based in Cardiff, UK, Gareth Phillips is an established photographer working predominately in the medium of photo books and installation. He has an extensive international exhibition history and continues to work with clients such as Saatchi & Saatchi, The Guardian, Sunday Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal & FT Weekend Magazine. He graduated in the 2007 class of Documentary Photography at The University of Wales, Newport, and his work has been recognised in numerous awards. A selection of his work now resides in the David Hurn Collection of the National Museum of Wales.
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