Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Destroying The Weak (First Edition)”
Summary
A sculptural multiple by Cleon Peterson: a glossy white figurine of two intertwined, struggling figures — a dominant aggressor overpowering a collapsing victim — perched atop a natural wood presentation box silkscreened with Peterson's signature black, knife-wielding combat scene and the "CASE STUDYO 2015" maker's mark. It translates the artist's flat black-on-white imagery of domination and brutality into three dimensions.
Why It Matters
Destroying The Weak" is a rare instance of Cleon Peterson stepping off the wall and into the round, distilling his entire thesis — the strong preying on the weak, the violence beneath civilization — into a single physical object. The white tangle of bodies recalls classical marble statuary and Greek vase wrestling scenes, the very tradition Peterson subverts: instead of heroic combat it depicts pure predation. The accompanying box, with its hand-painted-style fighting graphic, frames the object as both artifact and indictment, making it one of the more conceptually complete and collectible pieces in his output.
Collector Perspective
Produced in 2015 as an artist's-edition sculpture/multiple by the Belgian publisher Case Studyo, who specialize in limited editions for street and contemporary artists. Edition size and exact medium are not confirmed here, but Case Studyo objects of this type are typically cast resin or ceramic, hand-finished, in editions in the low-to-mid hundreds, sold as the "First Edition" with a numbered presentation box and artist mark. As a three-dimensional object it occupies a different, smaller collector niche than Peterson's screen prints; condition (chips, hairlines) and the intact original wood box materially affect value. A distinctive, display-forward piece rather than a wall print.
Historical Context
Released in 2015 through Case Studyo, at the height of Cleon Peterson's rise following his "End of Empire" body of work and his collaborations with Shepard Fairey. The mid-2010s saw a wave of figurative art-object editions from street and lowbrow artists, and this sculpture sits squarely in that moment — Peterson's grim moral vision of power and abuse rendered as a collectible domestic object.
FAQ
What does this piece depict?
A white sculpture of two struggling figures — one figure overpowering and pinning a collapsing second figure — mounted on a wood box printed with Peterson's black graphic of armed, fighting figures. The subject is domination and the strong destroying the weak.
Is it a print or a sculpture?
It is a three-dimensional sculptural multiple (an art object/figurine) presented in a silkscreen-printed wooden box, not a flat print.
What is the edition size?
The exact edition size is not confirmed in our records. It was issued as the marked 'First Edition' by Case Studyo in 2015; Case Studyo artist editions are typically limited and numbered.
Who made and published it?
Designed by artist Cleon Peterson (b. 1973, Seattle) and produced/published by Case Studyo, a Belgian editions house, in 2015.
Who is Cleon Peterson?
An American artist known for stark black-white-red scenes of violence, power and social conflict, drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, and 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.