Matt Siber (1972) lives and works in Chicago. Having worked for years as a commercial photographer, he is now primarily a gallery artist. His photographs are grouped in series that thematically focus on contemporary semantics, urban landscape, communication and mass culture. His artwork is part of many private and public permanent collections including The Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Photography. His images have been published internationally in such publications as ArtForum, Flash Art, Aperture and EXIT Magazine and he has received grants from the Aaron Siskind Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council. Matt also teaches beginning and advanced digital imaging at Columbia College Chicago.
This collection of work is taken from 3 series: The Untitled Project and Floating Logos Series I & II
ARTIST STATEMENT ON THE UNTITLED PROJECT
“The Untitled Project is rooted in an underlying interest in the nature of power. With the removal of all traces of text from the photographs, the project explores the manifestation of power between large groups of people in the form of public and semi-public language. The absence of the printed word not only draws attention to the role text plays in the modern landscape but also simultaneously emphasizes alternative forms of communication such as symbols, colors, architecture and corporate branding. In doing this, it serves to point out the growing number of ways in which public voices communicate without using traditional forms of written language.”
ARTIST STATEMENT ON FLOATING LOGOS SERIES I & II
“Inspired by the proliferation of very tall signs in the American Mid-West, Floating Logos seeks to draw attention to this often overlooked form of advertising. Perched atop very tall poles or stanchions, these corporate beacons emit their message by looming over us in their glowing, plastic perfection. Elimination of the support structure in the photographs allows the signs to literally float above the earth. Making the signs appear to float not only draws attention to this type of signage but also gives them, and the companies that put them there, an otherworldly quality. References can be drawn to religious iconography, the supernatural, popular notions of extraterrestrials, or science fiction films such as Blade Runner.”
