How to Flatten a Mountain Facilitator Matthew Thompson

In our second post highlighting the fantastic photographers that will be facilitating workshops during How to Flatten a Mountain, we’re happy to feature the work of Matthew Thompson. The deadline for this residency and exhibition opportunity is quickly approaching. You can find more information about the program and application process here…

Matthew is an Irish fine-art and commercial photographer. He had originally practised as a designer before concentrating on photography. He completed his masters in Fine Art Photography at the University of Ulster 2014. His film represented Ireland in the Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism Shenzhen, China 2015/16. His work primarily concentrates how our conditioning influences our perception. He has exhibited in France, Ireland, England, Germany, Finland, China and presented at the Offset Festival in 2015. Clients include Philips, Monocle, Conde-Nast, Time-Warner, Cara, and EMI.

The image featured here is from Solitary, a collaborative effort between Maria Hinds, Matthew Thompson and Herman Wallace. It documents the life of Herman Wallace, a former Black Panther and Angola 3 member, during his forty-two years of solitary confinement in Louisiana state prisons. His story is told through a collection of personal items fashioned or acquired during his incarceration that testify to the resilient strength and creative ingenuity of a human spirit forced to endure decades in the harshly punitive environments the U.S. prison system.