Inspired by Kevin Peterson

Kevin Peterson was born in 1979 in Elko, Nevada. After receiving his art training in Texas, Kevin pursued a career as a probation officer working in the social sector. During this time, his drug and alcohol problems disrupted his life and led to an arrest and the loss of his job. While in a drug and alcohol treatment center, Kevin rediscovered his love and passion for creating art. He decided to pursue this passion after completing the treatment program. Art, for him, was a remedy.

Peterson's artwork often depicts children alone in an isolated scene against the backdrop of dilapidated buildings covered in graffiti. Support versus restraint, freedom versus bondage,  release versus tension, are all themes Peterson often visits in his work. Something as angelic and naive as a child depicted in these desperate landscapes gives the viewer of his artwork a chilling feeling. Often in a position of movement, these children represent the adult's journey through life's many trials. Peterson says, "It's about growing up and living in a broken world." His work, which has brought him personal stability, is an outlet for the reflection of his personal trauma as well as subtle activism. Dealing with topics such as fear, isolation and loneliness, the paintings also provide a sense of strength and optimistic hope—a representation of what it takes to survive. 

His work deals with the idea of rigid boundaries, the hoped-for collapse of these restrictions, as well as questions about the forces that orchestrate our behavior. Kevin has been sober since July 30, 2005 and has been immersed in his art ever since. Other artists on Artsper such as Banksy, JP Malot, JR and Shepard Fairey (Obey) share Peterson's feeling that art is an important tool for social progress in the navigation of the 21st century.