Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Balance Of Power (Black)”
Summary
Balance Of Power (Black) depicts two muscular figures kneeling face-to-face, locked in a symmetrical, brutal struggle — each gripping and clawing at the other's arms and face in a stalemate of mutual aggression. Rendered as flat black silhouettes on white, it is a definitive example of Cleon Peterson's central subject: the cyclical, mirrored violence through which power is contested.
Why It Matters
The composition distills Peterson's entire thesis into a single image — that power is never settled but perpetually fought over, with aggressor and victim interchangeable. The near-mirror symmetry of the two combatants makes the "balance" of the title literal and ironic: neither figure dominates, both are locked in the same destructive embrace. Working in his stripped-down black-and-white vocabulary drawn from Greek vase painting, Hogarth, and street art, Peterson turns the violence into a timeless frieze, removing any single villain so the brutality reads as a condition of civilization itself rather than an isolated act.
Collector Perspective
A screen print from 2015 in a small edition of 20, hand-signed and numbered by the artist. The tight edition size puts it well below Peterson's more common 100-plus runs and his open editions, making it a comparatively scarce sheet for collectors who track his power-and-conflict imagery. As the all-black colorway of the Balance Of Power composition, it sits among Peterson's most graphically pure works; demand for his prints is steady within the contemporary street/urban-art market, though a run this small trades infrequently and is best valued against documented auction and dealer comps rather than asking prices.
Historical Context
Made in 2015, during the period when Peterson's reputation was consolidating off the back of his "End of Empire" body of work and frequent collaborations with Shepard Fairey. The mid-2010s saw him refine the flat, high-contrast figural style — bald, faceless aggressors locked in combat — that references classical Greek black-figure pottery and the social satire of Hogarth. Balance Of Power belongs to this mature phase, where Peterson used symmetrical compositions of paired fighters to comment on the perpetual, reciprocal nature of power and abuse.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
Two muscular figures kneeling and locked in violent struggle, each gripping the other's arms and clawing at the other's face. The near-symmetrical pose makes the fight a stalemate — a visual metaphor for the contested, cyclical nature of power.
How large is the edition?
It is an edition of 20, which is small for Cleon Peterson and notably scarcer than his typical runs of 100 or more.
Is it signed and numbered?
Yes. Like Peterson's other limited screen prints, it is hand-signed and numbered by the artist.
What is the medium?
A screen print (silkscreen) on paper, produced in 2015. This is the all-black colorway of the Balance Of Power image.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) is an American artist known for stark, high-contrast scenes of violence, power, and social conflict in a flat black/white/red/gold palette. He draws on classical Greek vase painting, Hogarth, and street art, and is a frequent collaborator with Shepard Fairey.
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.