Critical Writing Index

Gutsy scenes in fish-market film

by Peter Goddard

The Toronto Star, Nov. 26, 2004

Goddard describes Allan Sekula's video Tsukiji (2001) as depicting the Japanese fish market of the same title as a 'sprawling, enormous still life.' Screened at Vtape begining November 27, 2004, Sekula's documentary of the fish market is a focused study of economy with a personal flavour. Viewers are presented with vignettes of workers abdorbed by tasks such as hauling loads of fish and filleting eels.

Allan Sekula's documentary Tsukiji, focuses on a Tokyo fish terminal by the same name as the documentary. The work subverts expectations usually associated with documentaries. Sekula is both a photographer and filmmaker and teaches at the California Institute of the Arts.

ITEM 2004.115 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

TsukijiAllan Sekula