August 10, 2015 | Posted in:Vellum News

Violence is an on going theme in Cleon Peterson’s work. In his latest series “Poison” he looks at more extreme cases of this human trait using revenge as the motivating factor. The pictures are created using acrylic on canvas and depict barbaric practices more in line with ancient times. This includes beheadings, rapes, and clubbings. The paintings reference greek statues and figures with little definition and no color. They resemble gimp characters with no distinguishing characteristics between them except for the violent action each is performing. The work suggests a metaphor in relation to the violence of war brought on by nations to solve conflicts which could easily be negotiated peacefully. By looking at this, Peterson delves into man’s primal need for physical action when a wrong doing has occurred and studies man’s thirst for dominance and control. Peterson is a graduate of Cranbrook University and has studied violence in other forms including addiction and racism. His current body of work will be part of an exhibit which opens August 29th at the Library Collective Museum in Detroit, Michigan.