Jon Sasaki: Unabashed Optimism

Jon Sasaki Ladder Climb, 2009 HDV, 1:50.	Jon Sasaki Ladder Stack, 2009 Colour photograph	Jon Sasaki Toronto's Official Y2K Mascot, Autumn, 2008 Colour photograph
Jon Sasaki Vacuum, 2009 DVD loop, sound	Jon Sasaki Installation view: Vacuum, 2009 Looped DVD edition of 10	Jon Sasaki The Artist’s Best Friendship, 2006 Dimensions variable Unlimited edition multiple, Sterling silver in silver hinged box

Jessica Bradley Art + Projects announces an exhibition of new and not so new works by Jon Sasaki, including video, sculpture, photography and editions.

Unabashed Optimism is the gallery’s 9th special project since opening in May 2005.
 
Jon Sasaki's work has been seen at the gallery in group exhibitions in past years. This solo exhibition is an opportunity to see what many have been talking about - the original, quirky and fundamentally serious work of an artist whose works in various media bring wit and wisdom to pathos and futility. In his own words, Sasaki concedes "a strong skepticism toward themes of development, transformation and emergence, whether applied to art practice itself or taken in a broader sense." Rather, for Sasaki stasis is a central theme, albeit filtered through a dry, comic delivery. Often an Everyman character performs tasks with a perseverance and dedication that go unrewarded, yet Sasaki is far from cynical. His unflagging determination imparts the sincere optimism that lies at the heart of the work.
 
Jon Sasaki's work has been presented in solo exhibitions at Centre Clark (Montreal), Gallery TPW (Toronto), The New Gallery (Calgary), and Latitude 53 (Edmonton). He has participated in recent group exhibitions at VOX (Montreal), the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery (University of Toronto), the Owens Art Gallery (Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB), Simon Fraser University Gallery (Burnaby, BC), as well as the 2006 and 2008 editions of Toronto’s Nuit Blanche. Upcoming solo exhibitions include The Doris McCarthy Gallery, (University of Toronto at Scarborough) concurrent with his exhibition at Jessica Bradley Art + Projects and 126 (Galway, Ireland). Jon Sasaki was an active member of the Instant Coffee art collective between 2002 and 2007. He lives and works in Toronto.

Artists:
Jon Sasaki