‘Everything Is Satisfactual is a deconstruction of toy culture, specifically, the history of the black representation within kitsch consumption and the masking of racist propaganda under the guise of cuteness. Barnes unravels how the consumption of cuteness perpetuates and upholds forms of oppression and marginalisation specifically but not limited to racialisation, infantilism, misogyny and brutality. The sinister subliminal message underneath the soft, squishy surface of seemingly ‘innocent’ objects is explored through an Afro-surreal retelling of the Br’er Rabbit and the Tar Baby folktale, which her enslaved ancestors developed after being ripped from Africa. The installation plays with the appropriative natures of surrealism and pop art to make the ‘toys’ and the folktale come to life and expose what lies beyond the sugary sweet surface of cute things.
For this exhibition Barnes has produced a series of sculptures that hybridise the characters that appear in black North American folklore, synthesising them with the aesthetics of contemporary toy collectibles. The figures in the installation are ambiguous, layered and rich in meaning. They address, through allegory, fundamental questions about the ongoing impacts of the forces of colonialism, slavery, globalism and trade on contemporary society. ‘ - Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop