YASUMASA YONEHARA

Yasumasa Yonehara is recognized as a photographer whose work pushes the envelope on multiple fronts. His modestly sized, 2×2 inch photographs, serve as an eye into the lives of Japanese youth. He uses a standard, Japanese-made Cheki camera that is comparable to the Polaroid, both in terms of effect and the resulting images. The artist chooses this camera over more technical alternatives because he is interested in obtaining images that truly capture his subjects in a pure, immediate nature, without alternations or embellishments.

MICHELE ALASSIO

“SACKS”

With Sacks, the artist draws on personal experiences with pain and illness, and the seminal bond that has developed between his chronic condition and the work of the acclaimed neurologist Oliver Sacks. Alassio is known to have made the claim that the only true remedy for his chronic migraines is suicide, and thus continues to endure severe pain despite various methods of treatment. The artist focuses his photographs on subject matter that is brutally physical, yet mystically abstract.

“NEXT STOP”

Next Stop, a series of photographs taken by Alassio during the 50th Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2003, chronicles his exploration of various pavilions without prior organization or preparation. Alassio thus assembled a series of images that capture a fleeting, transitory moment in time where the creative spectrum is brought to light with works and projects from across the globe. From David Hammons’ installation of votive Thai statues at prayer, to the Charles Ray sculpture exhibited at the American pavilion, the subjects not only depict the diverse and comprehensive qualities that characterize the works, but also communicate the concerns and interests of each respective artist.