
Dear Dolly
- Publisher
- Baron Books
- Year
- 2023
- Specifications
- Hardback
32 x 26 cm
200 pages
First edition
Introduction by Susie Rushton
Essay by Dr James Barker
Design by Suburbia
In Alice Hawkins's second book the photographer uses self-portraiture to appropriate the imagery and guises of the country and western star Dolly Parton. Shot over ten years, the series sees Hawkins travel the world as Parton, with a cast of friends, family and Dolly fans who adorn make-up, costumes, props and prosthetics to transform their appearances into Dolly. Dear Dolly investigates how Parton dismantles stereotypes surrounding class and female representation through her music and appearance: the country girl's idea of glam takes middle-class beauty standards and subjects them to a working-class lens. The book also includes an introduction by Susie Rushton and an essay by Dr James Barker, whose work explores LGBTQ+ belonging in country music.