An Artist Walks into a Bar
Art21
documentary, digital series, 9 min, 2019
In this hybrid narrative-documentary film, the idiosyncratic Japanese, New York-based performance artist and recent mother Aki Sasamoto, day-dreams at a bar of drinking whiskey and creating an artwork of self-spinning whiskey glasses. As the artwork takes form, it becomes clear that it’s not just about drinking – the work becomes a metaphor for life, motherhood, and even the process of art-making.
Art21 New York Close Up Featuring Aki Sasamoto
CREDITS
FEATURING
Aki Sasamoto
Ray Ekwurtzel-Sasamoto
Pau Atela
Romina Gonzales
Anna Peterson
DIRECTORS
Rafael Salazar and Ava Wiland
"NEW YORK CLOSE UP" SERIES PRODUCER
Nick Ravich
PRODUCER
Ava Wiland
EDITOR
Rafael Salazar
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jon Nelson and Rafael Salazar
DIGITAL COMPOSITOR
Luis M. Pla
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Julia Main
LOCATION SOUND
Nikola Chapelle
GAFFER
Jacob Mallin
PRODUCTION SERVICES
RAVA Films
COLOR CORRECTION
Jerome Thelia
SOUND DESIGN & MIX
Adam Boese
DESIGN & GRAPHICS
Chips
MUSIC
Matt Bauder
ARTWORK
Courtesy of Aki Sasamoto
SPECIAL THANKS
Jason Bauer, Bortolami Gallery, James Corporan, Cut + Measure, Sam Ekwurtzel, Eugene & Company, Gilberto Gil, Romina Gonzales, Ben Hagari, Anna Peterson, UrbanGlass, and Russell Yaffe