In 1971, inspired by "Bigfoot" stories in his favorite tabloid magazine, the Weekly World News, Clayton Bailey made a ceramic skeleton of an 8 foot humanoid, and claimed that the fictional Dr. Gladstone, an eccentric scientist, had discovered proof of the existence of Bigfoot. His neighbors and friends helped him discover the bigfoot skeleton, and dropping; in his backyard, which was handy, and it eliminated travel expenses. Seasonal mudslides on the nearby hillside even eliminated the need to dig. According to press releases issued by Dr. Gladstone.
Below is Clayton Bailey, in character as Dr.Gladstone, presenting his piece aptly titled "Bigfoot Skeleton."
Flash forward to nearly 40 years later and the Bigfoot skeleton is among one of 24,000 pieces in the permanent collection of Seattle's Henry Art Gallery. It was hidden in the attic among 100 pieces that are being displayed as "Vortexhibition Polyphonica". These pieces will be on display through March 2011.
What will be missing from the Gallery? Clayton Bailey's follow-up to his Bigfoot Skeleton. Three years later Bailey would, again, become inspired by Bigfoot and create a piece titled "Finding the Bigfoot Dropping" (Shown below)
You can read about the "Vortexhibition Polyphonica" at the Seattle Times
The official Vortexhibition Polyphonica Collection Website is here.
You can go to Clayton Bailey's very funny eccentric site here.
If you visit Bailey's website turn on your speakers and be warned it is rated PG-13 due to some mature humor.
