About the artwork
Stare into my Eyes transposes the iconographic universe of Cleon Peterson, known for his confrontational scenes and archetypal figures, into the sculptural medium. Produced in bronze with a matt black patina, the work depicts a stylized figure holding a detached head in one hand, while the other arm carries a weapon on the shoulder. The smooth shapes, simplified volumes and absence of naturalistic details reinforce the symbolic dimension of the scene. The monochrome treatment accentuates the formal radicality and gives the sculpture a dense, silent presence. In three dimensions, the artist's graphic language is transformed into an almost monumental figure despite its contained format, giving substance to his recurring themes of power, violence and domination.
Expert opinion
This work marks a significant extension of Cleon Peterson's pictorial practice towards bronze sculpture. The transition to volume reinforces the timeless, mythological dimension of his iconography, while retaining the formal clarity that characterizes his work. The limited edition of eight, complemented by two artist's proofs, gives the piece a rare and sought-after character on the market. Stare into my Eyes testifies to a phase of maturity in which the artist asserts his universe beyond the pictorial medium, consolidating his position as one of the major figures on the contemporary scene.
About the artist
Born in Seattle in 1973, Cleon Peterson lives and works in Los Angeles. Brought up in an environment conducive to artistic creation, his work is notably nourished by his experiences on the streets of New York in the 1990s, where he fell into drug addiction, alternating between prison and a psychiatric hospital. In his work, he depicts urban tensions and violence, disorder and bloody impulses, free from morality and justice. Through his "flat" aesthetic, the artist invokes the influence of ancient Greek vases and the creations of Matisse. He modernizes these references by fusing them with his mastery of graphic design and his familiarity with underground cultures. First recognized for his illustrative work in the skateboarding world, Cleon Peterson joined Shepard Fairey's Californian team in 1998. Since then, he has held solo exhibitions, the first of which took place in Los Angeles. In 2014, he created a monumental fresco at the Palais de Tokyo, followed in 2016 by a 700 m2 painting on the forecourt of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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