Clyde Petersen is an artist based in Seattle, working in film, animation, music, and installation. As a director, he is best known for Torrey Pines (2016), an autobiographical stop-motion animated feature film, which toured the world with a live score.

Clyde Petersen
Clyde Petersen, 2022
Born1980
NationalityAmerican
EducationWestern Washington University
Occupations
  • Director
  • Animator
  • Musician
Years active1998–present
Websitehttps://www.clydepetersen.com/

He is the founding member of punk band Your Heart Breaks. Between 2012 and 2015, he hosted the web series Boating with Clyde, set on a small handmade boat in the Washington Park Arboretum. Petersen is transgender and his art often explores queer themes.

Career

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In 1998, whilst living in Bellingham, Washington and studying documentary film production at Western Washington University, Petersen started the band Your Heart Breaks. The band has released multiple albums, either by self-releasing or through small independent labels, throughout the 2000s and 2010s.[1]

Petersen worked with animation on commercials at a post-production house in Seattle.[2] He has directed music videos (some of which were animated) for the Thermals, Laura Veirs, Deerhoof, and Thao & the Get Down Stay Down.[3][4]

In October 2016, Petersen released Torrey Pines, a film he had written, directed, and animated over the previous three years. The soundtrack for which was recorded by Chris Walla and features members of Your Heart Breaks as well as several other collaborators.[3][5][4][2] The film was toured worldwide with a live score for the next two years.[6]

In early 2018, Petersen announced he was working on a documentary about the American drone metal band Earth.[7][6] This is entitled Even Hell has its Heroes and had its North American premiere on May 17, 2023 the Seattle International Film Festival.[8]

Petersen's art installation work often uses cardboard and paper as medium, akin to his stop-motion animations. From late 2018 to spring 2019, he had an exhibition entitled Merch and Destroy at the Bellevue Arts Museum in Washington.[9]

Filmography

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Year Film Credited as Notes
Director Producer Editor Animator
2010 The Unspeakable Yes Yes Yes Documentary
2010 Last Night on Earth Yes Yes Yes Documentary Short
2012 After Terminal Velocity Yes Yes Yes Short
2012 13 Wayz to Get Hard Yes Yes Yes Animated Short
2012 - 2015 Boating With Clyde Yes Yes Yes Four Season Web Series
2016 Torrey Pines Yes Yes Yes Yes Animated Feature
2023 Even Hell has its Heroes Yes Yes Yes Documentary about drone metal band Earth

References

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  1. ^ Dyrof, Denny (May 7, 2019). "On Stage: Metal for everyone". Unionville Times. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Robinson, Chris (December 14, 2017). "Passing Us By: Clyde Petersen Talks 'Torrey Pines'". Animation World Network. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Sears, Kelton (August 31, 2016). "Clyde Petersen's 'Torrey Pines' Is a Fascinating Work of Ambient Animation". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Joshua James, Amberson (December 7, 2016). "The Deceptive Simplicity of Torrey Pines". Portland Mercury. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  5. ^ Jen, Graves (October 14, 2016). "Torrey Pines Is a Handmade Film That Will Make You Feel Wholeheartedly Awesome". The Stranger. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Eli, Zuzovsky (February 20, 2018). "Portrait of an Artist: Clyde Petersen". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  7. ^ Segal, Dave (April 18, 2017). "Stranger Genius Nominee Clyde Petersen's Working on a Documentary About the Band Earth". The Stranger. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  8. ^ "Even Hell has its Heroes". Seattle International Film Festival. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  9. ^ Kucharski, Eve (February 16, 2019). "Artist Clyde Petersen on Queer Narratives, 'Torrey Pines' and New Projects". Between the Lines. Retrieved January 15, 2020.