Guest Opinion | Rene Amy: The Altadena Way

All the way back to the 12th century, folks have sardonically commented that “no good deed goes unpunished” — and that’s arguably true today, especially when it comes to public art provided as a public service by a private business.

For residents of Altadena, that’s certainly been the case, as media from around the globe have covered a veritable tempest in a coffee pot, with a handful of residents complaining about a mural created by local resident (and globally-recognized artist) Cleon Peterson.

Peterson’s art now graces the front of a coffee shop in northwest Altadena, an area once best known for gang-related violence and murders. I vividly remember my first time in the neighborhood (almost 40 years ago), wondering where the golf course was that so many people must have been walking to — because they were all carrying golf clubs.

The owners of the coffee shop decided last year to provide the community with a mural that would change each year. One of the few requirements for the artwork on the wall was that it must only be painted in black and white, to mirror the shop’s dead-eyed skull logo.

Honestly, to me at least, the first mural produced was boring — something like a moiré pattern that just didn’t ever do anything for me, no matter how many times I went past on my way around town. It was kind of a waste of a wall, in my opinion.

But that’s changed, and the interest level has skyrocketed since Cleon’s mural went up.

Cleon’s work is powerful, gripping, and demands attention.

And, attention it’s gotten.

Some folks took an immediate dislike, and some folks immediately loved it. For me, it’s been a growth experience.

Cleon, whose works have been featured in gallery and museum exhibits around the world, and whose illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker and The New York Times, has lived in Altadena for 14 years, and has raised his three children (ages 11,13, and 15) here. He’s been exceptionally generous to local charity — with one special-edition skateboard series adorned with his art recently raising over $7,500 for LA County’s oldest home for at-risk children, Altadena’s Five Acres. He’s also a big supporter of the ACLU, and joined with well-known artist Shepard Fairey last year to produce artworks whose sale supported the organization.

Cleon’s art is nothing if not dramatic. His work typically uses a two or three-color palette, and his stark imagery often features angular, muscular, humanoid figures in silhouette, with what appear as claws instead of hands, and small reptilian heads. But I’m no art critic, so my interpretation could be way off.

The topics of his works are not always clear, but sometimes — especially when commenting on politics — it’s absolutely unmistakable. Cleon is definitely on the left of the political spectrum. Just take a look at the works he created for use as billboards for People For the American Way during the 2020 campaign cycle, graphically warning of dire consequences if MAGAs were to be elected. That effort to encourage voting in Georgia was rejected by every billboard advertising company approached as being too controversial. His portrayals of former president Donald Trump are scathing, to say the least.

His works have supported the downtrodden, and have lashed out against the authoritarian — and it’d be logical to think that his works would be a perfect fit in a historically-marginalized area, and would serve to inspire folks into action.

For the local coffee shop mural, Cleon seems to have taken images used to wrap the entire exterior of the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art during a recent exhibition of his work there, and substantially downsized and compacted them to fit on a single-story wall. I don’t want to suggest that artists are lazy, but hey, if it worked once, why not use it again, eh? Especially on a project that paid nothing like the market value of the work itself.

And so, onto the wall went art from a successful local artist who isn’t afraid to tackle the issues of the day — including, arguably, man’s inhumanity to man.

And, as seems typical here in Altadena, some folks complained that the work is “violent,” “demonic,” “racist” — and also “harmful to children” — as the mural shows black-silhouette figures seemingly attacking each other. Some folks now even report seeing “hidden” symbols. It’s also said that the work is insensitive to the history of the area, where Black-on-Black violence between rival gangs had once been commonplace  (not to mention the seemingly-forgotten violence (both physical and economic) against the original indigenous peoples who lived here).

Instead of talking directly with the coffee shop owners, a handful of neighbors followed what might be termed “the Altadena way,” and complained to county officials about the artwork, seeking to have the government force its removal. When officials responded that the county has no jurisdiction over such art, those neighbors took the issue to the Altadena Town Council (a group of hardworking volunteers who advise the County on civic matters) seeking to have what they felt is an offensive work removed.

While the old days are mostly behind us, Altadena has seen its share of younger families — such as Cleon and his own family – moving into a community that was, until recently, seen as an affordable (if edgy) option to “safer” but more-expensive areas. Altadena has recently seen skyrocketing housing prices, just like the rest of the LA area. Generational friction is a real thing here, as young “newcomer” families bump into local elders all the time, though perhaps not so much at the coffee shop, which features a young, edgy, upscale ambiance. For an old(er) guy like me, it came as a surprise that cash isn’t king there — in fact, it isn’t even accepted for payment (more about that later). No doubt, this sort of “hipster” aspect rubs some longtime locals the wrong way.

Perhaps a bit of art history is in order now, as what’s known as black-figure art dates back to at least the ancient Greeks, whose pottery is (literally) covered with it. Everyone understood that the figures depicted were folks with light skin, but, you know, it was art, so it was okay.

Fast forward a couple of millennia, and consider some other styles of art, including op art (think, perhaps, of M.C. Escher), agit-prop art, cubism, surrealism, and any other form or format, because that’s what many artists do these days.

Art is, of course, in the eye of the beholder, and most folks can take a moment, consider, reflect, and work towards an informed interpretation of art — without falling back on deeply-held preconceptions and prejudices.

Art serves us all when it challenges us, and when it causes us to think.

For me, the artwork is an all-too-accurate mirror of society at large, as we are all-too-often at each other’s throats — if not literally, then certainly when using social media. Claws out, reptilian brain engaged, far too many folks attack each other whenever the chance arises. It makes me feel that whatever I may do to help others is not enough, and it spurs me on to look for more ways to be helpful, not hurtful. It makes me think of the words of onetime Altadena resident Rodney King, Jr. (who lived about a block from me, and that much closer to this neighborhood shop), “Can’t we all just get along?”

I’ve lived through the violence in Altadena, and think I understand its origins and causes better than many. I remember when more than half of Altadena was considered to be too unsafe to visit, let alone to live in. It wasn’t that long ago that someone emptied the clip of an automatic weapon into the front of a neighbor’s house, just a few feet from where I was sleeping. Four-year-old Salvadore “Baby Chavita” Esparza was senselessly murdered in a flurry of bullets less than a quarter-mile from my home.

As for protecting children, perhaps locals could create an upbeat mural on the side of the huge liquor store up the street from the Cleon’s work. That particular liquor store (one of several in the neighborhood) sits kitty-corner to two public schools. Or, neighbors could actively volunteer at a local public school. Or join in ongoing efforts to fight the online bullying that’s so prevalent and harmful to schoolchildren. Or volunteer at the drug rehab facility that’s next door to the coffee shop. Or find businesses to fill the vacant storefronts still to be found nearby.

Circling back to the real-world business end of it all, there are more facets in play than most might expect. While publicity is often seen as being good for business, the reality can be a bit different. Beyond the harassment of staff members, the coffee shop owners are concerned that the controversy might draw support from folks who misconstrue the art’s message. Business is about growth, and controversy can impact that, as others may not want to associate with a business that’s perceived to be too controversial. These might seem like a stretch as first read, but these are realities the coffee shop faces.

And what about that whole thing about not accepting cash? Who doesn’t accept cash — unless they are (perhaps justifiably) concerned about getting robbed?

Maybe the coffee shop owners know their neighborhood better than some claim. Maybe they understand that sugar coating everything — like “art” from the industry created by Thomas Kinkade — gets old, boring, and unhealthy over time. Maybe they believe that our neighborhood is mature enough to do a bit of thinking before reacting.

Only time will tell what happens. While the coffee shop owners have said that the mural will remain, they plan to meet with concerned neighbors tomorrow. My hope is that the mural remains, and that we all learn a bit from the experience.

René Amy is a longtime community activist who lives near Unincorporated Coffee, but who brews and drinks his own before beginning his next volunteer effort.