Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Destroying The Weak 2 (White)”
Summary
A stark white tondo set against a black ground frames two muscular black silhouettes locked in lethal combat: one figure raises a club overhead and seizes his opponent by the head while the other is bent backward, mouth agape, collapsing, with a small bird caught between them. It is a definitive Cleon Peterson image of the strong annihilating the weak, rendered in his signature flat, Greek-vase-derived black-and-white language.
Why It Matters
Destroying The Weak 2 (White)" distills Cleon Peterson's central thesis — that power is exercised through brutality and that civilization barely conceals predation — into a single, almost heraldic confrontation. By isolating the violence inside a clean circular field, Peterson borrows the formal device of ancient Greek tondo and amphora painting, turning a contemporary scene of dominance into something timeless and mythic. The reduction to pure black and white strips out narrative detail and forces the eye onto the asymmetry of the struggle: aggressor versus victim, club versus open hand. It is one of the artist's most direct and graphically aggressive statements of his recurring power-and-violence theme.
Collector Perspective
This is the white colorway of "Destroying The Weak 2," a 2015 screen print in a small edition of 20, typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil by the artist. The tiny run places it among Peterson's scarcer prints — most of his editions are larger, so 20 examples is meaningfully tight. It pairs naturally with the black/inverse and red companions in the series, and complete sets carry a premium. Market interest in Peterson is steady, driven by his Shepard Fairey association and the immediate, high-contrast graphic appeal of works like this one; condition and the presence of a clean signature and number are the main value drivers.
Historical Context
Released in 2015, this print comes from the period when Cleon Peterson's reputation was consolidating around his black-white-red palette and his explicit engagement with power, conflict and social brutality. The "Destroying The Weak" imagery sits alongside his "End of Empire" and related bodies of work that draw on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth's moralizing scenes and street-art directness to depict a society governed by force. The circular composition deliberately echoes the tondo interiors of ancient drinking cups, recasting antique form as a vehicle for a thoroughly modern critique of dominance and victimhood.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
Two muscular black silhouette figures fighting inside a white circle: one raises a club and grips the other by the head, while the second figure is bent backward and collapsing, with a small bird caught between them. It depicts the strong destroying the weak, a core Cleon Peterson theme.
What is the edition size?
The edition is 20.
Is it signed and numbered?
Works in this edition are typically hand-signed and numbered in pencil by Cleon Peterson; confirm the specific example's signature and number when purchasing.
What medium and series is it?
It is a screen print from 2015, the white colorway of Cleon Peterson's "Destroying The Weak 2," part of his power-and-violence body of work rooted in Greek vase imagery.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast black/white/red/gold scenes of violence and abuse of power, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. He is a frequent Shepard Fairey collaborator.
Related Works
About the Artist
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power and social conflict, rendered in a flat, limited palette of black, white, red and gold. His chaotic compositions of fighting, clubbing and writhing figures expose the abuse of power and the brutality beneath civilization’s surface, drawing on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art. A frequent collaborator with Shepard Fairey, he shows internationally; his prints, sculptures and editions are widely collected in the urban-contemporary market.
Collecting Cleon Peterson at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Cleon Peterson prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Cleon Peterson prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Cleon Peterson prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Cleon Peterson and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.