Karen Baker
Linsey-Woolsey, 1735, 2021
Linen Cord and Highland Wool 24" x 40"
Linsey-woolsey is a coarse fabric, most common in the United States during the Colonial era and required for slave clothing under the SC Negro Act of 1735. In addition, it was used among the lower classes in England for a few hundred years. Linsey-woolsey was often made with a linen warp and a woolen weft - the technique used on this piece.
Karen Baker
The Year of Return, 2021
Dutch Wax Fabric and Cotton Fabric 24" x 40"
The Year of Return, 2019, was linked to the 400th anniversary of slaves landing in the US - said to be the first recorded arrival of enslaved Africans in the Americas. This piece commemorates this anniversary.
