Big Top (Phantasma) Collage

Oliver Peterson Born 1976 New York, NY. Lives and works in Water Mill, NY Water Mill resident Oliver Peterson finds inspiration in graffiti, structural decay, the pop zeitgeist, literature, politics, history, religion and his personal experience. The diverse subject matter drives the artist's work to challenging places, but Peterson's paintings are very much about the media from which they are built. The artist frequently experiments with paint and patinas and often applies random studio detritus to compositions that have been described as energetic, complex, masculine, dark, and even gentle. Peterson's recent work includes a series he calls "Arcane Anatomy" and "Guide," which has some Pop influences. He was chosen as a Long Island Pulse Artist VIP in 2008, and his pieces have been featured in The New York Times, NY Daily News, Newsday and nearly all of the East End/Hamptons publications.