An IASH Work-in-Progress, delivered by Dr Sequoia Barnes (RACE.ED Stuart Hall Foundation Fellow, 2024)
Useable Several Times
For her work in progress, Sequoia Danielle Barnes will perform an amplified stitching session in the IASH Conference Room, on the ground floor of 2 Hope Park Square, that you are welcome to drop into over the hour. You will also be able to see her reappropriation processes (original image to stencil for stitching) for ‘Useable Several Times’ as well as examples of her archive findings so far via the National Library of Scotland.
‘Useable Several Times' is an always ongoing archive-in-progress that utilizes stitching/embroidery and radical materiality to deconstruct the sinister capabilities of cuteness and its ability to propagandize white supremacist ideologies and tropes. It was very common before the late 20th century for a substantial variety of products and goods to feature racist tropes, especially in the United Kingdom and United States. Images of racist tropes were so prevalent at this point in history because they ensured the popularity of a consumable product. These images of brutality became an integral part of the 20th century domestic experience, a strange artifact of the home.
For the RACE.ED Stuart Hall Foundation Fellowship, she has started a new iteration of ‘Useable Several Times’ that will focus on 20th century British visual culture, specifically the practice of illustrating and animating the golliwog figure. I chose the 20th century because the golliwog figure was introduced by children’s book illustrator Florence Kate Upton in 1895, with The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg, which paved the way for Robertson’s Jam and their Golly mascot, Enid Blyton’s Noddy series, and many others.
Please note that because of the format, this Work-in-Progress will be in-person only.