For those who are aware, it is no secret that a strong movement in massive sculpture and other types of dynamic art by women ~ feminists and lesbians ~ has involved Sasquatch and Bigfoot.

Today, Friday, January 8, 2010, at the Art Gallery of Peterborough, near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Canadian artist Allyson Mitchell’s exhibition “Ladies Sasquatch” opens. It runs until March 7, 2010, there, as the final leg of a traveling exhibition, apparently.

Here is the exhibition announcement:

“Ladies Sasquatch: Allyson Mitchell
Allyson Mitchell’s newest installation presents an epic gathering of figures, each one a monumental symbol of female brains, brawn and sexuality – a community of Lady Sasquatches*! The free standing, sculptural works by this Toronto-based artist marry feminist theory with fun fur. Mitchell symbolizes the mythical feminine as something not easily captured or domesticated, or harnessed to sell, yet undeniably powerful and attractive. Ladies Sasquatch is organized and circulated by the McMaster Museum of Art and Curated by Carla Garnet. ”

Mitchell’s sculptures are enormous. In a 7.5-minute interview, she says one is nine and a half feet tall.

The Ladies Sasquatch gather around the campfire.

One does wonder about Noni Brynjolson’s review* of the exhibition, when she writes: “It could be said that Allyson Mitchell’s current exhibition at the Winnipeg Art Gallery revolves around the question, ‘Why have there been no women Sasquatches?’ Mitchell’s show features a cast of lesbian feminist monsters. Attractive, yet intimidating, their presence loudly declares an intrusion of different (scary, to some) voices into public discourse.”

I am not sure Mitchell is asking this question. After all, the fact is that the most famous piece of footage of a Bigfoot ever filmed, on October 20, 1967, is of a female Sasquatch. That clip is hardly unknown, even outside cryptozoology. Brynjolson is clearly a debunker/skeptic of Bigfoot’s existence, although she may know her art quite well. She writes in her review of Mitchell’s art: “I will forever remain a skeptic about entities that lack convincing documentation (Sasquatches…)….” How does she know anything about the documentation that does exist if she doesn’t know that female Sasquatch are readily acknowledged?

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*The continued use of “Sasquatches” seems unfortunate when talking about this exhibition. It appears Allyson Mitchell is aware that the plural of “Sasquatch” is “Sasquatch” from the title of her exhibition: “Ladies Sasquatch.” However, in her interview, she does use the phrase “Sasquatches.” See here for more on “Sasquatch” versus “Sasquatches.”

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Thanks to the news tip from Kelly McGillis.