Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “The Marcher (Sculpture) (White)”
Summary
A small white figurative sculpture of one of Cleon Peterson's signature combatants: a muscular, blank-faced nude man caught mid-stride, an axe or hatchet slung over his shoulder as he advances. It translates the aggressors of Peterson's flat black-white-red paintings into three dimensions, freezing the menace of an armed marcher into a monochrome object.
Why It Matters
Peterson's work is built almost entirely on a two-dimensional, high-contrast visual language drawn from Greek vase painting, so a free-standing sculpture is a comparatively rare format in his output. Stripping the figure of its color field and reducing it to a single matte-white form forces the violence into pure posture and silhouette: the predatory lean, the shouldered weapon, the faceless anonymity of the assailant. It distills the central subject of his entire practice, the ordinary man as casual perpetrator of brutality, into a tactile object that can be held and circled, which heightens the unsettling intimacy of the threat.
Collector Perspective
This is an object rather than a print, issued in a very small edition of 8, which puts it among the scarcer things Peterson has released. The white colorway is one of presumably more than one finish, making this a true edition object for collectors who want to move beyond his widely available screen prints. With only eight examples, supply is thin and they trade infrequently; pricing is driven by edition size and condition rather than a deep public sales record. A desirable cross-format piece for a committed Peterson collector, but not an entry-level acquisition.
Historical Context
Produced in 2015, during the period when Peterson's profile was rising sharply on the back of museum and gallery shows and his collaborations with Shepard Fairey. The armed, advancing figure is the recurring protagonist of his mid-2010s paintings and prints of fighting, clubbing, and mob violence; here that figure is lifted out of the painted scene and rendered as a stand-alone sculpture, part of a small run of three-dimensional editions that expanded his largely flat, graphic body of work into objects.
FAQ
What does this sculpture depict?
A muscular, faceless nude man striding forward with an axe or hatchet resting across his shoulder, the archetypal aggressor from Cleon Peterson's scenes of violence and power, rendered as a matte-white figurine on a rectangular base.
How large is the edition?
The edition is just 8, making it one of the scarcer items in Peterson's catalog.
Is it a print?
No. This is a three-dimensional sculpture/object, not a work on paper, which is unusual within Peterson's predominantly graphic, two-dimensional practice.
What is the 'White' in the title?
It refers to the colorway/finish of this version, an all-white matte form, distinguishing it from any other color variants in the edition.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
An American artist (b. 1973, Seattle) known for stark black, white, red, and gold scenes of violence, power, and social conflict that draw on Greek vase painting, Hogarth, and street art. He 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.