John Altoon (1925-1969) was an artist and commercial illustrator known for loose drawings of botanicals and natural form. His work crosses a hybrid between abstract and figurative, influenced by Abstract Impressionism. Altoon used color and line movement to connect sociopolitical messages with the viewer’s eye. A prominent member of the Ferus Gallery’s group of artists and Wallace Berman’s Semina circle, Altoon was influenced of artists like Pablo Picasso in creating raw, satirical pieces of work.

Born in Los Angeles, John Altoon attended the Otis Art Institute, the Art Center College of Design, and the Chouinard Art Institute. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.