Great American Muse
"In the late 1960s I enrolled at Syracuse University, New York, to pursue a Masters of Fine Arts degree in painting. At that time the Pop Art phenomenon was in full bloom in New York City. While Pop was generally understood as cool and detached, I was interested in making it hot and relevant. With this realization, seeds were planted and a lifetime of juxtaposing images that reflect both mainstream and cultural values began to germinate. In retrospect I think I was endorsing one popular definition of Post Modernism as "finding the deeper meaning of life through comic books.

A few years ago my wife gave me a book on artist Tom Wesselmann that caused me to re-examine his paintings, drawings and collages. Even though I was quite familiar with Wesselmann's work, I hadn't really focused upon his "Great American Nude" series. Suddenly I appreciated and understood that these compositions were based upon fixed sets of images and locales, such as the female figure, kitchen, bathroom, groceries, art, and appliances. Upon this realization, I began to juxtapose similar images that I had used in my own work, through the years, images that commonly had ethnic connotations such as woodblock prints, World War II, samurai, and geisha. I discovered that the level of interpretation rose exponentially, as each additional component brought its own history and associations. This resulted in endless possibilities for dialogue and debate.

Ultimately, there is no correct nor best interpretation of each painting, but I invite each viewer to express and share their own interpretations. In this manner I hope that the conversation will continue long after viewing the work in person."
—Roger Shimomura, 2015