Los Angeles-based artist Cleon Peterson has released a new book called Blood and Soil. Created between 2016 to 2018, the title alludes to his LA exhibition of the same name that he held at Over the Influence in 2018, where Peterson created a series of paintings and sculptures that commented on the socio-political tensions during the Trump administration and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Largely set in black, white, red and the occasional hit of gold, Peterson’s graphic compositions largely feature humanoid characters viciously fighting to the death, as a meditation on humanity’s violent nature that has persisted since the age of antiquity.

Courtesy of the artist.

“All these historical parallels that echo what’s going on around us today make it worth examining power dynamics and the ways oppression is manifested in today’s society,” the artist previously noted on his 2018 show. “This series is more directly focusing on power and oppression within the current political climate, but you could say all of my work explores these tropes within societies both past and present.”

Published in partnership with the Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum, Blood and Soil is a hardcover title that spans 120 pages and includes texts by Andrew Blauvelt, Jonathan Griffin and Jennifer Piejko. For those looking to purchase, the book is limited to 700 copies and is available for $60 USD and signed with an accompanying 9 x 11 inch screenprint for $160 USD.
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