Open Door Gallery

Gordon Sasaki: NY Portraits

January 13 - April 30, 2010

Audio Description of Gallery and Photographs

Read the description of each photograph by clicking on the images above.

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Opening Reception:
February 1, 2010 4 - 7 pm

Conversation with the artist at 5:30 pm.

Artist Statement

NY Portraits is a series of portrait photographs of New York City artists. Besides the creativity of their varied practices, each of these artists shares the experience of the city through the perspective of disability, myself included.

Begun in 2006, the series examines aspects of the human condition through the subtleties of photography, underscoring the importance of creating visibility to promote dialog and understanding among all people.

Included is a diverse group of artists working in different forms of creative expression. From visual and performance artists, to dancers, actors, musicians, filmmakers and those who use the written word.

Equally diverse is the broad range of disabilities included in this project. As in real life, not all disabilities are obvious or even visible.

Part of the production process of these images was getting to know each artist with a mutual understanding that disability is not a deﬁning characteristic of these individuals. More accurately, it is simply another component of what makes each person unique.

I wish to acknowledge the many artists and friends who have contributed to this project.

Thank you for your time and the sharing of your work.

About the Artist

Born in Honolulu Hawaii, like many children Gordon Sasaki became interested in art at an early age, first exhibiting a flower painting at the age of 10 at the Los Angeles County Children's Museum. Later, while studying art in college, Sasaki injured his spinal cord in an automobile accident and has since used a wheelchair for mobility.

Currently living in New York City, Sasaki uses a variety of materials to explore multiple aspects of the body and its representation. His work has been exhibited internationally in Belgium, Japan, Spain, and Germany, and throughout the United States. He is a recipient of awards and grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the Puffin Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

Sasaki is a dedicated proponent of inclusion through the arts. He teaches in the education department at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. He also works with VSA Massachusetts in a program preparing educators to use the arts to accomplish the goals of Universal Design for Learning, an approach to instruction that anticipates obstacles to learning and provides effective alternative ways to accomplish the lesson.

Book Publication

These photographs are part of a larger series of portraits published as a 74 page book in March, 2011. Available for preview, NY Portraits can be purchased from blurb.com.

The Open Door Gallery promotes the work of artists with disabilities and shifts our community's perceptions of ability while enjoying quality art.