Allyson Mitchell: Ladies Sasquatch
September 18 – October 20, 2009
Main Gallery | Centre for the Arts | W600

Ladies Sasquatch

Allyson Mitchell

Touring by McMaster University Art Gallery
Curated by Carla Garnet

Main Gallery

The mythical Sasquatch has mystified and eluded us throughout history. As a legend, it spans different cultures, traditions, and time periods, where stories of the creature are often associated with the human fear of wild and uncivilized nature. Dozens of Sasquatch sightings occur around the world every year, many of these in the forests of Manitoba. Why is it that none of these beasts are ever reported as female? Allyson Mitchell’s Lady Sasquatches provide the missing link. These colossal goddesses are made of kitschy looking textiles: fun fur, shag carpets, afghans, and other discarded domestic materials typical of women’s craft work. Mitchell’s large sculptures are both visions of and enquiries into feminine monstrosity. They address the mythological association of woman with irrational and unknowable nature. Big and hairy with bear-like teeth, the line between threat and parody in these works is ambiguous.

This exhibition is circulated by the McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, Ontario and curated by Carla Garnet, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts.