VSA arts of Massachusetts: Prior Exhibits

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Gordon Sasaki - NY Portraits

Gordon Sasaki - NY Portraits

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Wall One			Wall Two
Mark - Filmmaker A middle-age man sits, leaning back on a long dark park bench, in a small city park. Cars are parked on both sides of street behind him. An older woman sits at the far end of the bench, ankles crossed, focused on the newspaper she holds up before her. Her pocketbook is on her lap, a larger brief case lays on its side next to her, a small lidded cup next to that. The man rests his intertwined fingers on the metal cane between his legs, its curled coated end reaching nearly to his chest. His beard is cropped thin, his light colored curly hair brushed back from his receding hairline. There is a slight smile on his mouth and in his eyes, which squint a little as they peer into the distance. The strap of his shoulder bag lies diagonally across his chest over his brightly tropical-patterned shirt. The bag sits to his right. A small white plastic bag is the bench to his left. He wears jeans, we can't see his shoes.	Victor - Visual Artist A man appearing to be in his 30's gazes straight at us in this close up shot. He sits behind a table, large photos of cathedral interiors covering its surface, facing him. His right hand touches the lower corner of one photo. A pencil is held between the first and second fingers of his left hand, his fingers bent and somewhat twisted. Beneath his left hand is a sketch of a detail from the photograph. His head seems large over his sloping shoulders, his light hair thick, cut short and receding. Thick plastic glasses frames are perched on the very tip of his straight nose. His right eye turns in, his left, serious and appraising.		Karen - Photographer A young woman faces us from her wheelchair on a city sidewalk. She is dressed for cold weather, dark heavy nylon ski parker, dark knit gloves, and a knitted stocking hat pulled sown onto her head, just above her eyes. A sweater is visible at her neck, just above the snaps of her jacket. Her head tilts to the left, her eyes squinting at us, her face bathed in sunlight. There is a small smile on her full lips, slightly parted. On her lap is a light-colored carry pack with dark shoulder strap, trim, zipper and clasps. There is a slight tear on the left knee of her jeans, the photo is cropped at her shins. Her left arm reaches over the arm of her wheelchair, her hand resting on the neck of a dark bull mastiff. The dog, chains around its neck, peers directly and intently at the camera.	Diana - Actor/Model This close up is a head and shoulders shot of an attractive woman, appearing to be in her 30's. Her dark full hair, looking slightly wind blown, hangs to her bare shoulders. She pulls up her right eyebrow with the middle finger of her right hand. Her left arm, which appears to have been amputated just below the elbow, reaches up to frame the left side of her face. The end of this arm, skin folded in to form a vertical crease, pulls up the eyebrow above her left eye. Her lips, with a light tone and shine to them, are parted to reveal the tips of her upper teeth, and curl up at each end. Her jaw lines descend gracefully to her small round chin. The photo is cropped just below her neck with no indication of clothing. Out of focus patterned curtains form the background.
Akemi - Model A young Asian girl stands on her left leg on a sidewalk facing us. Her right leg is bent up at the knee, her right foot resting on her left thigh. Her left arm reaches down, her hand clutching the raised foot. Her right arm reaches down towards the foot also. This arm tapers thinner at the end, only two fingers are visible. She is in dark clothes, her pants to her knees, legs bare, feet in sandals. Her black jacket is zipped to below her chest, a light camisole visible beneath. Her thick dark hair is tied behind and to the left, falling onto her right shoulder. Her head is topped with a full mushroom shaped hat, black with a small brim just over her almond eyes. She smiles at us, the sidewalk and city street behind her a checkered pattern of light and shadows cast from the elevated railway above. A wall of windows and an entrance to a meat market are on the block across the street behind her. Hanging above her is a flapping torn fabric sign, large block letters reading FREE DRY backwards.	Zazel - Dancer/Model A young woman of African heritage leans backward to face us with a direct but upside-down stare. We peer down on her face from behind. She sits on a hardwood floor, her feet stretched out before her, slightly blurry from this perspective. Her left foot is pointed straight, her right foot turned lightly out. Just beyond her feet are dark, unlaced high-top sneakers. The legs of folded wooden chairs are visible leaning against a wall at right. The thin straps of her top cross her bare shoulders. Her lips are full, slightly raised at the corners; her eyes are clear and dark, short eyebrows raised, forehead lightly furrowed. A thin scar, just below her cropped hairline, begins left-center of her forehead and runs diagonally back beneath her hair, intermittently hidden and showing for about 6 inches.		Bill - Performance Artist A young man, appearing to be in his 20's, stares unsmiling directly at us. He sits in a large molded plastic mail bin on casters. The bin's sides rise up to resemble the wide arms of an easy chair. The man's arms are stretched out onto each side. His right leg is curled up; his left leg hangs straight down, his foot reaching to a few inches above the floor surface. On the floor, to the right of the bin, lies a set of thin metal crutches. The setting is bare, a framed wall of thin, translucent material in the background. His dark hair is thick, cut short, brushed slightly forward. His eyes are set deep in shadow, a thin dark goatee on his face. He wears a medium toned t-shirt, loose jeans, and bold patterned sneakers, thick white laces untied.	Anita - Actor/Musician A woman, appearing to be in her 30's, stands facing us in front of the curve of a baby grand piano. The piano's top is propped open, the woman's arms stretched out to rest on the edge of the instrument behind her. She has no left leg, only her right leg descends from beneath the hem of her short dress. The dress is dark with six medium-sized covered buttons running from the hemline to the neck. Around the neck is a short satin lapel and collar. She wears a smile on her lips; her face is open and direct. Her hair is light, wavy, coming to her jaw line. On the floor to the left of her and nearly under the piano, a small metallic statuette stands between two long thin rods with loops at the near ends.

Wall Three
Sidiki - Musician On a bare, narrow stairway in an older building, a man crouches, halfway up, smiling, looking down at an empty wheelchair at the bottom of the stairs. The seat of the wheelchair faces the stairs, as if waiting. The man's left arm reaches down to the step below his curled body. One high-topped leather shoe, heel forward, toe pointing back and just off the step he sits on, seems to come from somewhere beneath his coat, just below his chest. A light colored tam hat covers the top of his dreadlocked head, his eyes fixed on the wheelchair below.	Mare - Visual Artist The angular face of a bald woman, perhaps nearing 40, stares at us from the right side of this horizontal photo. We see a 3/4 view of the right side of her face. She is serious, her perfectly proportioned lips unsmiling. Her small nose hooks slightly; her lightly lined eyes open and clear, with no lashes or brows. The tip of her ear flares out a bit. The dark collar of her top hugs her neck. A mirror on the wall behind her reflects the blurry image of her from the back.	Glenn - Painter From a low perspective, we look up at the full figure of a large young man standing in the knave of an enormous cathedral. With his thick soled shoes, straight arms out slightly from his sides and his head leaned back, dark eyes peering down on us; he cuts an image of an early movie Frankenstein. The slight smile and small rosaries around his neck present a conflict. Is he a blasphemous fellow, pondering how good we will taste, or is there a kindness in his heart and his spirit? In the distance behind his head are five tall arched stained glass windows. Far behind him are wide white stairs leading up to an altar, surrounded by massive columns.	Scott - Actor The full figure of a tall man is positioned to the right side in this horizontal photo. He stands on a cobble stone sidewalk, his weight on his left leg, his right leg bent in slightly, his thick right boot barely touching the ground. His bearded chin is raised a bit, a pleasant countenance and smile on his face. His long dark hair is brushed back from his forehead and hangs to behind his shoulders. His light colored, wrinkled sport coat is open over a dark buttoned sweater vest, a buttoned collarless shirt beneath that. Behind him the city street runs straight back, facing cars waiting cars at the corner. A square concrete planter is to the left, a small tree rising from it surrounded by low bushy plants.
Michael - Sculptor A young Asian man leans forward from his chair next to a bare mattress. His dark hair is short and a bit spikey, his smooth face pensive, one eyebrow raised slightly higher. His white t-shirt is loose around his neck and features an illustration of a woman's head. His left arm is heavily tattooed; just the tip of a tattoo showing beneath his right short sleeve. His elbows rest on his thighs. Spaced on the portion of the bare mattress we can see, are three or more abstract sculptures that appear to be cast. Their design is loose, almost like dancing fabric shapes blown in strong, swirling winds. They appear to be between one and two feet tall, attached to flat bases. Similar objects can be seen in the background.	Adam - Filmmaker The face of a young man looks directly out at us, his head taking up the bottom third of this composition. Rising up behind his head are shelves of religious statues, busts and tall glass votive candle holders. Most items are individually covered in loose protective plastic bags. The man, in his late 20's or early 30's, has a crop of medium to light colored hair, longish and wavy, looking as if it might have been combed with his fingers. There is a pleasant expression on his closed lips, a faint shadow of a moustache and beard. His right eye is wide open and staring, but seemingly unseeing. His left eye is more natural, half lidded and focused.	Yusaku - Musician A young Asian man sits facing us from his wheelchair, arms crossed on his lap. There is a slight smile on his face, his hair is longish, a wisp from his forehead touching one eyebrow. He wears a dark polo shirt, unbuttoned near the neck. He is positioned to the left of this horizontal format, nearly leaning against a long row of windows that continue behind him. To the right of him, a clear aisle separates him from the rows of molded seats, two by two, back to back, with storage bins beneath them labeled LIFE PR - the rest of the letters blocked by the seats in front of them. The curve of the walls behind him, the long rows of ceiling lights and a mounted loud speaker are other hints that this subject is onboard a ferry.	Lezlie - Performance Artist A young, smooth faced woman peers out at us from behind a dark chain-link fence. Her face and upper torso take up nearly the entire photo. The three fingers of her right hand reach above her head, clutching through the fence. Her left hand, tapered and abbreviated to one finger, pokes through the links at just below shoulder height. Her light tosseled hair hangs just to her shoulders. She gazes at us intently, eyes slightly squeezed, her lips unsmiling but not unpleasant. Her features and skin are fair. She wears metallic hoop earrings and a small thin hoop in one nostril.

Wall Four
Karen - Visual Artist (The audio description refers to a different photo of Karen as the incorrect one was sent to the gallery in error.)	Anthony - Musician A middle aged man of African heritage looks down at us with a serious face. His head tilts the left, his hair short, a light colored scarf wrapped once around his neck, one end over his shoulder behind him. He has a short full beard. He wears a jacket with wide pointed lapels over a white shirt, open at the collar with no tie. Towering behind him is the white facade of a large building, peaked roof with a dark cross high above a barely visible steeple. Edges and trim on the building are dark, and white letters mounted on a dark band across the front are mostly blocked by our subject's head, except for the words "Church" to the left of his head and "In" to the right.	Christina - Actor A close up of a young woman's head and upper torso, as she looks directly at us, her hands holding chains from a swing. Her head tilts to the right, her dark hair fashioned gently to her jaw line. Her eyes appear tender, her open smile slightly crooked. She wears a plant-patterned top, with long sleeves and a deep v-neck with a band of dark trim. A city playground in soft focus is behind her.
Susan - Visual Artist A middle aged woman, glasses atop her slightly tilted back head, wearing a checkered flannel shirt open over a turtle neck shell stands squarely before us and holds a stack of large sheets of heavy paper out in front of her. The sheets are held vertical; the one facing us has a tightly hand-printed list of 25 numbered items. The heading reads "Susan Brown". The letters slant right and left, some written over, but mostly legible and orderly. 1. Miss Joyce O'Brien (her teacher) 2. 1973 Plymouth Fury 4-Door Sedan 3. Early techinio Fly Down the list "her mother" is repeated 4 times and a few other items are also repeated. Her face is a bit puffy, her eyebrows raised and her smile open. A fire extinguisher hangs on a wall behind her, next to a small portion of the bottom of a framed piece of art.	Deborah - Conceptual Artist A middle aged woman faces us while grasping a metal walker. Protruding from her left shoulder, like arrows in a quiver, are the shafts of 4 of 5 golf clubs. Behind her, filling the entire background is a dark chain-link fence. Behind the fence the foreground is littered with hundreds of golf balls, a small flag on a long pole to the right. Beyond is the open expanse of a driving range, more tall fencing lining either side. Large buildings in the far distance are dominated by the faint outline of the Empire State Building. The woman wears a heavy dark coat, a bag on a shoulder strap hangs in front of her waist. Her chin is square, her lips a tight smile. The wind blows her short hair as her eyes gaze directly at us beneath eyebrows slanting up at center.	Jennifer - Painter A woman pictured from the waist up, confronts us with her arms crossed over her chest. She is middle aged, wearing a dark sleeveless top with a u-shaped neckline. Her shoulders are withered and heavily scarred, large band-aides covering some areas. Her medium short hair is mostly straight, pushed back at the sides, a long strand curving from her forehead to nearly touching her right brow. Her left eye brow is raised. Her eyes sparkle a bit, but defiant, her nose a bit broad, her smile almost a sneer.

Wall Five
Ralph - Visual Artist A young man leans his back into the light streaming through a French door at the left. His hair comes over his ears and down his neck. His face is serious, his arms crossed over his stomach as he looks to his right, as if pondering. A curtain is pulled back from a narrow window next to the French door. It casts a light on a large, waist-high prosthesis, straps and belts crossing its open side. A set of crutches next to it lean against a tall open bookcase.	Carmelo - Filmmaker A man appearing to be in his 30's is pictured full frame from his power wheelchair. He leans forward and on his right elbow, his arms crossed on his lap. His dark hair is cut short, brushed to one side. His thick eyebrows are raised, his eyes wide open, his expression slants his moustache and mouth slightly down to the right. He wears a short sleeve plaid shirt and loose fitting jeans. His feet on the footrests point in different directions, one out and one up. In the background we can see the lower corner of a reel to reel tape deck, the rest fades quickly to black.	Steve - Poet A black man, perhaps in his 50's or 60's, sits to the right on the worn steps of a city stoop. He leans forward, his left arm resting on his crossed leg, his hand straight out, his pinkie extended. The bracelet on his wrist does not meet, ending in small balls. His right arm is flexed behind his left, reaching up to pull the gray whiskers on his neck. The rest of his beard is patchy in color and coverage. He wears dark wrap-around shades resting on a solid nose. His hair is coarse and brushed straight back. His mouth is slightly open as if speaking, or just about to. He wears a mosaic-patterned shirt, collar open. To the left, decorative wrought iron beneath the railing is built on top of the gritty wall, climbing up with the steps. The curling black iron can be seen covering the glass of the door at the top of the stoop.