Rago Auctions

Born in Seattle, WA in 1973, Cleon Peterson has built a career centering on chaotic and aggressive works where clashing figures symbolize a struggle between power and submission in the fluctuating architecture of contemporary society. Acknowledging the demons within us, Peterson sheds light on the inherent violence of civilization through allegorical contrasts of good and evil, violence and victim, in the tradition of Greco-Roman gladiator-motif vases. Further drawing on iconic images such as Francisco Goya’s The Disasters of War and Eugene Delacroix’s The Rape of Sabine Women, his bold and highly stylized work continues to represent these disturbing though fundamental elements of society long depicted by master artists throughout history.

Peterson received his BFA in Graphic Design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA and his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Detroit. Currently based in Los Angeles, his works have been shown in important exhibitions around the world and can be found in notable private collections.