Ascending Chaos

Introduction by Catharine Clark,Essays by Alison Bing,and Eleanor Heartney,and Kathryn A. Hoffmann

Published to coincide with a series of major exhibitions extending beyond 2007, Ascending Chaos is the first major retrospective of Japanese-American artist Masami Teraoka's prolific and acclaimed work thus far. In Teraoka's paintingswhich have evolved from his wry mimicry of Japanese woodblock prints to much larger and complex canvasses reminiscent of Bosch and Brueghelthe political and the personal collide in a riot of sexually frank tableaux. Populated by geishas and goddesses, priests, and politicians, and prominent contemporary figures, these paintings are the spectacular next phase of a wildly inventive career. With essays by renowned art critics who discuss how Teraoka's work inventively marries east and west, sex and religion, Ascending Chaos is a critical overview of this cultural trickster.

Masami Teraoka grew up in Japan and has lived in America since 1961. His work is held in major institutions, including the Tate Modern and the Smithsonian. He lives in Waimanalo, Hawaii. Catharine Clark is the director of the Catharine Clark Gallery. She has represented Masami Teraoka since 1997. Alison Bing is a writer and critic who lives in San Francisco. Eleanor Heartney is a New York-based cultural critic. Kathryn Hoffmann is a specialist in interdisciplinary studies. She lives in Manoa, Hawaii.