Rinse Cycle, 1988
Acrylic on Canvas, 60" x 24"
Roger Shimomura was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1939. He received his B.A. in graphic design from the University of Washington, Seattle, in 1961. He continued his studies at various institutions before earning an M.F.A. in 1969 from Syracuse University, New York. As a recipient of numerous fellowships and grants, he has exhibited his paintings and prints throughout the United States since 1965. He has also had a distinguished teaching career and has written, directed, and produced a number of theatrical performances. In his multilayered, action-packed paintings, which are rendered in flat, bright colors, politics are combined with ukiyo-e imagery, pop-culture clichés, and everyday consumer products. The resulting juxtapositions reflect his own personal history as a third-generation Japanese-American and also address the broader social and cultural conflicts between the two countries.
*Excerpted from Tools as Art: The Hechinger Collection, published by Harry N. Abrams Inc.