Cleon Peterson

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Artist Biography

“A psychiatrist once bought one of my paintings, and he said I must be mad at my mother (laughs). Maybe, I don’t know. I’d say that part of what I’m painting are things that I feel like I’ve experienced – when I was at the low points in my life; when I was living on the streets, and a junkie…”

“I have always had a brutal sadistic perspective and for some reason my sense of humor usually ends up taking things to an uncomfortable place. I am always drawn to narratives that evoke a sinister or devious side of culture, the tragic movies where everyone dies or where the hero winds up ordinary. I think there is a truth everyone can relate to in feelings of struggle, desperation, pain and failure. The grey area between the dualistic nature of authority in our world is where these paintings live.”

Cleon Peterson is an LA based artist whose chaotic and violent paintings show clashing figures symbolizing a struggle between power and submission in the fluctuating architecture of contemporary society.  Cleon’s paintings are monochromatic while channeling at the same time the fashion sensibility of the early 80′s, complete with skinny ties and day glow colors.

Cleon received his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Detroit, MI and a BFA in Graphic Design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Past exhibitions include: “Trailblazers”, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney, Australia, “Park Life”, Subliminal Projects, Los Angeles, Art Basel 2007 and “Mail Order Monsters” at Deitch Projects New York, NY, “Those Damn Yanks”, ‘The Occupation’ at New Image Art Gallery, L.A., The Leonard Street Gallery, London, UK, Monster Gallery, Sydney.

He has been featured in LA Record Magazine, Juxtapoz, and Eyes Cream (Japan), Arkitip Issue No. 0005.  And has been collected by international collectors, musicians and world art leaders such as Jeffrey Deitch.