Trauma Memory in Stitch, Sound and Word: From the Troubles and Conflict to Reconciliation and Peace

Abstract

This paper discusses the rhetoricity of stitch with the nature of trauma time, memory and the haptic qualities of textile, addressing theories put forward by Maureen Daly Goggin and Jenny Edkins. Properties the medium brings to confronting the trauma of conflict memory are addressed through my experiences of the Troubles in stitched works, film and the poetic word along with works by Irene MacWilliam, Catherine Harper and Deborah J Stockdale. Discussion of arpilleras from the “Conflict Textiles” collection shows the power of textiles in documenting trauma memory, expressing resistance to and therapy from the trauma of conflict and offering a voice for forgiveness and peace. Theories on sound and how these relate to my researches on the properties of sound within textile are featured reflecting, too, on the ways in which words communicate. The significance of using textile from both front and back and cloth as healing agent are addressed, including using an iconic garment such as a nurse’s cape which symbolizes comfort and healing, as form and surface on which to stitch images of conflict, healing and hope.