Author Description

Born in Japan but now a resident of the United State, artist Masami Teraoka has an uncommon insight into a manners and rites of both cultures. His best-known paintings from the 1970s poke fun at the clash between East and West, as hamburgers, french fries, and ice-cream cones invade the "floating world" of geishas and samurais. In his recent AIDS series, Teraoka responds with rage, poignancy, and even well-placed humor to the ravages and consequences of this century's latest plague. Waves and Plagues: The Art of Masami Teraoka, the first full-length book to feature Teraoka's work, presents us with the work of an artist of supreme skill and vision. As the forty-four color reproductions contained within illustrate, the artist joins the dissimilar conventions of traditional Japanese printmaking and pop art to comment with intelligence, satire, and compassion on the follies and preoccupations of popular culture. Whether the arrested majesty of a stormy Pacific wave, the passion of a sublimely erotic encounter, or the danger and devastation of AIDS, the subjects of Masami Teraoka's art are eloquent and essential. -- from cover flap.