MARGATE, England — Women’s hosiery isn’t something you’d necessarily expect to find hanging in an art gallery. Nor would you usually think of tights as thought-provoking.

But “Gossamer,” an exhibition opening on Saturday at Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate, a seaside town about 75 miles from London, shows that nylon pantyhose and garter-held stockings can be a rich source for artists.

“Gossamer” brings together work by 22 artists — including Louise Bourgeois, Sarah Lucas and Man Ray — who have made art using stockings as subject matter or as a material instead of, say, paint or steel. The show touches on themes of race, gender, femininity, and subversion.