Allyson Mitchell
The Fluff Stands Alone, 2003. | Image from allysonmitchell.com
Ladies Sasquatch, 2006 - 2010. | Image from allysonmitchell.com
Okay, I admit it's been a while since my last post. The task I set myself of doing weekly posts has been ignored, in part because I was busy, in part because I live in a town with minimal (none) queer art so my inspiration wound down.
Luckily, I'm good at getting back into the swing of things, and this post is inspired by one of my first loves in art, Allyson Mitchell.
I'm not sure if my inner baby queer was drawn to her, or if I fell in love with the work, or perhaps it was because she was one of the first professional artist I had seen, particularly the first who wasn't just painting pretty pictures. I saw her on a Toronto based station with her work The Fluff that Stand Alone. The sensuality of the soft surface drew me in, and the concept of representing the textures of the skin like cellulose through fabric blew my mind.
I had the opportunity just today to see one of her Ladies Sasquatch. Just one, not yet the whole troupe, but the one with the most vagina. There is something about the taboo nudity combined with the soft and fluffy safety of stuffed animals that makes this work so intriguing.