By Burt Lum

We in the tech world should spend more time in the art world.

Although art and tech are seemingly separate disciplines, there are many similarities in the process of creation, from the choice of medium, whether it's XML or watercolor, to the impact the end product has. When thought of in that way, we are all artists in a sense.

The difference is that the artist as a creator has much less to hide behind than a techie.

I recently got to meet Masami Teraoka at a going-away party for a couple of good friends, Jeff and Linda Fong. This festive gathering was held at the studio home of Teraoka and Lynda Hess. You would be amazed at the artwork that adorns the walls of their dwelling. Even more amazing was having Masami as a personal docent explaining the details of his fine work. An excellent alternative to a personal tour is his site at www.masamiteraoka.com.

When viewing artwork such as Teraoka's paintings, appreciation takes place at a number of levels. Obviously complex on initial viewing, a deeper understanding requires knowledge of his body of work and the recurring themes of sexuality, religion, politics, media and more. While examining his recent work called "Virtual Inquisition/The Tower of Babel," Masami unlocked the mystery of the painting with key insights into the depicted characters. He pointed out Bill Clinton, Monica and Kenneth Starr — and those Senate inquisitors falling off the Tower of Babel.

Another work on display and also on the Web site was "Cloning Eve/Viagra Falls." Religious icons are intermixed with phallic symbols and political caricatures. Masami pointed out Bob Dole seeking the Clone of Eve: There he is floating down Viagra Falls, there's Neil Abercrombie, and there are the Viagra corpses.

I found his work quite a fascinating depiction of contemporary society. He devotes a series of paintings to the subject of the Web, e-mail and computers in a style that is uniquely Masami — dark, disturbing and deceptively accurate. ;-)

Burt Lum is one click away at burt@brouhaha.net.