Cleon Peterson Offers New Print After Losing Home & Studio In Fire
The artist & his family of 5 lost everything in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. Purchase a new silkscreen print to assist in their rebuilding efforts
Two nights ago, we decided to watch a standup special by Maria Bramford. With all of the chaos and turmoil on this dying planet, it seemed like a good idea to turn on some comedy. Early into her set, Maria referred to being in Altadena, so I paused the show and Googled it. The special was filmed at Public Displays of Altadena (PDA), a 35-seat “micro-theater” flanked by a liquor store and a gourmet pizza place in a strip mall. At the end of her comedy set, Bramford purchased pizza and ate it outside with the audience. Everything about this venue and the participants exuded the idea of community. Seeing what they had built was genuinely heartwarming. Unfortunately, my suspicions were correct; the entire block was reduced to ash due to the Eaton Canyon wildfire. Despite what the owners have faced, the PDA website is optimistic that they “will be back!” They have a Gofundme set up and the top contributor is Maria Bamford.
Tragedies of this scale can make it difficult for most of us to wrap our minds around, and the current Los Angeles fires are of unprecedented magnitude. Seeing the way communities are affected makes it all the more real, but all the more heart-wrenching. You get a glimpse into what people have lost beyond the monetary value, as they express their appreciation for what they’ve had and who they still have around them. One individual who lost everything, yet continues to express gratitude for those gathering in support is painter, Cleon Peterson.
Things only feel more abstract when you witness public figures affected this way. The house of Primus guitarist, Larry “Ler” Lalonde, is now gone, while superproducer, Madlib, has lost his “home, decades of music and equipment.” As shown in his Instagram post above, Cleon Peterson, lost both his home and studio. Seeing remnants of his damaged art exposed through the charred rubble is surreal. As many who continue to struggle in this economy celebrate seeing the homes of the rich and famous being scorched to their foundations, it’s easy to forget that artists and communities like the ones mentioned here are part of the affected, not to mention the working class minorities struck so hard in Altadena. There are multiple angles and elements to all of this. It’s natural to want to direct our anger somewhere and there are plenty of places for it to go as capitalist vultures are already swooping in to buy up land and details about the potential usage, reduction, and direction of government funds continue to unfold. Fittingly, these are the sorts of themes and subject matter Peterson is known to address in his work.
The bio on his website refers to Cleon as “an LA based artist whose chaotic and violent paintings show clashing figures in a struggle between power and submission in the fluctuating architecture of contemporary society.” I couldn’t hope to write a more accurate or succinct description, but brevity has never been my strong suit, so I’ll compulsively elaborate.
Peterson is known for relying on simple 2-to-3-tone color palettes in his paintings. This typically means utilizing some combination of gold, stark white, obsidian black, or scarlet to create powerful contrast in his work. It’s an approach that results in bold, graphic imagery with immediate impact and emotional resonance that splits the difference between Keith Haring and WWII propaganda posters. His pieces are striking and visceral; regularly depicting confusion, rage, bloodshed, and class struggle. It can be uncomfortable stuff to look at, but even more challenging to ignore.
Cleon typically incorporates some element of conflict. Sometimes that means a club-wielding mob. Sometimes, those mobs are law enforcement. Interlocking bodies choking one another, swinging blunt instruments, or brandishing knives; police brutality, increased militarization, money worship, and global destruction are all common themes. His aesthetic is pure and direct, meeting the subject matter where it needs to be to produce something both effective and affecting. To look at a piece of Peterson‘s art is to make an instant judgment call. It reflects something about yourself and you know what side of the fence you stand on. One of the most unsettling aspects of his work is knowing there are, undoubtedly, others connecting to it just as intensely, while siding with the oppressors.
If you’re looking for a silver lining in all of this or a way to help, the Los Angeles artist is releasing a new print to help finance some of the rebuilding efforts his family is currently facing. This new piece will be offered as a timed release, meaning that there will be a short order window where it will be available and, based on the number of copies ordered, that will determine the production run. Peterson‘s drops generally sell out quickly, so this is a great opportunity for anyone who’s ever wanted to get their hands on something but hasn’t been able to make that happen.
“The Return” is available in 3 variants: black & gold, black, and gold. Each will be a hand-pulled screen print on 290gsm Arches rag with deckled edges and measure 20 x 20 inches. These will be signed and numbered and sell for $100 each. The order window hasn’t been specified, so you’ll probably want to act fast, but we’re assuming it will likely be up for a couple of days.
“The Return” can currently be purchased from CleonPeterson.com
You can read the accompanying message from Cleon below
“Dear Friends,
I hope you’re doing well. I’m reaching out with difficult news: we recently lost our home and studio in the Altadena fires. Everything we owned—my artwork, keepsakes, and all the little pieces that made our space feel like home—was consumed by the flames, leaving us with nothing but the clothes on our backs.
Despite this immense loss, we’ve been uplifted by an outpouring of kindness. Friends and strangers alike have brought us clothes, offered necessities, and shown so much compassion. We’re still searching for a new place for our family of five (plus our dog) to stay close to the kids’ schools, and we’re also looking for a space to set up a new studio. Your support, whether by sharing leads or just sending good thoughts, means the world to us.
In an effort to get back to creating, I’m releasing a special print. Every purchase will directly help us navigate this challenging time and get us working again. This will be an open edition and will be delivered to you a few weeks after purchase.
Thank you for standing by us, believing in my work, and helping us move forward after such a devastating event. Your support—whether through purchasing a print, spreading the word, or offering help in any form to us and others—means more than I can express.
With deep gratitude,
Cleon, Kelly, Aubrey, Coco, Huxley and Pepper”