The BARCODE series is an ongoing collection of hand-embroidered bandanas that correspond to the colors of the Hanky Code, a secret language used by gay men in the 1980s to signal their sexual desires and fetishes. Originally conceived during the Inter-generational Queer Artist Residency in 2019, the series has expanded with the addition of two new hankies and regular updates every few months. In 2020, I created a large number of new works for YASSIFIED, an exhibition at Novah Gallery in early 2021.

Installation view of *YASSIFIED* at NOVAH Gallery.

Each bandana in the series features a color and a consumer product slogan that pairs well with the corresponding Hanky Code color. The use of consumer product slogans is a way to critique the pinkwashing that often occurs during sponsored LGBTQ+ events and festivals and aims to draw attention to the role that corporations have played in the erasure of the more sex-positive aspects of queer culture.

The act of "culture mapping" consumer culture onto a disappearing part of gay men's culture is a deliberate choice to highlight the influence of corporations on the mainstreaming and sanitization of queer culture. The use of humor in pairing consumer product slogans with the Hanky Code colors serves as a subtle reminder of the subversive origins of the Hanky Code and the need to preserve and celebrate queer culture in all its complexities.