Operation Bigfoot explores the intersection of contemporary art and cryptozoology. Two contemporary wildlife artists, Justin Gibbens and Eugene Parnell, will survey the public, both online and in person, about their personal experiences with the cryptozoological phenomenon known as Bigfoot, or Sasquatch.  The artists will be on-site at Westlake Park on July 11, 2009 as a part of *ARTSPARKS to act as real-time forensic sketch artists, giving visual form to the eyewitness descriptions of Bigfoot provided by interviewees. The general public can submit eyewitness accounts of encounters with Bigfoot before or after that date by visiting www.eugeneparnell.com/bigfoot/. Finished sketches from the project will also be available at the same url.

It is estimated that ten thousand first-hand sightings of Bigfoot have occurred since the 1950's, when the phenomenon first attracted media attention. The most interesting, and some would say convincing, aspect of these sightings is the consistent visual description of the creature. Is this due to the accuracy of the eyewitnesses' memories, or is it due to the fact that so many media representations of the creature already exist? In other words, do we remember what we have actually seen, or what we think we should have seen, based on prior artists' interpretations? This is the question Gibbens & Parnell seek to answer. 

Eugene Parnell is a Seattle-based artist currently exploring the relationships between animal imagery and early childhood experience.  Much of his work deals with natural and cultural history, anthropology, cryptozoology, and the notion of the Exotic, and his practice is fueled by his extensive travels throughout the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He holds an MFA from the University of Hawaii. His work has been included in exhibitions at the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle, Bellevue Art Museum, Soil Gallery in Seattle, the University of Wisconsin, and in Denver, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Johannesburg, and elsewhere.

As a contemporary (wildlife) artist, Justin Gibbens' work is indebted to countless hours spent watching David Attenborough documentaries, infinite trips to natural history museums, and his obsessive, unhealthy interest in all things that scamper and poke about in the thickets and undergrowth. Imitating the conventions of 18th and 19th century zoological illustration and traditional Chinese fine-line painting, he make strange and lovely images of curious creatures and beautiful beasts. His work has been recently exhibited at G. Gibson Gallery in Seattle and Elizabeth Leach Gallery in Portland. He received an Artist Trust fellowship in 2008.

This project is supported in part by Artist Trust. Artist Trust's Meet the Artist program is an integral component of the annual Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship. Meet the Artist events bridge our artistic community with the diverse communities in Washington State, increasing awareness about the vital roles art and artists play in our culture. Find out more at www.artisttrust.org. 

*ARTSPARKS - a summer-long array of free arts events at your local downtown Seattle parks.Visit http://www.artsparksseattle.org or the ARTSPARKS page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?g id=87624106755 or www.occidentalpark.wordpress.com for specific event details throughout the summer. 

Westlake Park
Seattle