Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Endless Sleep (Black)”
Summary
Endless Sleep (Black) is a 2016 Cleon Peterson screen print depicting a circular, mandala-like ring of figures in his signature flat black, white and gold palette: black-skinned and white-skinned bodies join hands and circle a central pair locked in a struggle, the entwined limbs reading as both a dance and a death spiral. The radial composition channels Greek vase painting and the danse macabre into Peterson's recurring meditation on conflict, domination and mortality.
Why It Matters
The print distills Peterson's central themes into a single, instantly legible icon. By arranging black and white figures in an endless, interlocking circle around a central combat, he frames violence and racial conflict not as an event but as a perpetual cycle with no beginning or end, the "endless sleep" of the title hinting at death as the only exit. The tondo format and gold ground explicitly borrow the authority of antiquity and religious icon painting, the same classical-vase and Hogarth lineage that runs through Peterson's End of Empire and related bodies of work, lending a stark contemporary protest image the weight of myth.
Collector Perspective
This is a small edition of only 28, hand-pulled as a screen print and, as is standard for Peterson's signature releases, signed and numbered by the artist. The tiny run places it among the scarcer Peterson prints on the secondary market, well below the hundreds-deep editions of his more common releases. Peterson's profile, boosted by his ongoing collaborations with Shepard Fairey, keeps demand for his work steady, and the gold-ground tondo format is among his most decorative and sought-after compositions. Condition and an intact signature/number are the key value drivers; at 28 copies, supply is thin enough that desirable examples do not surface often.
Historical Context
Created in 2016, Endless Sleep sits within the most prolific and recognized phase of Cleon Peterson's career, the period around his End of Empire vases and major mural and gallery output that cemented his black/white/red/gold visual language. The mid-2010s saw Peterson channel anxieties about power, racial violence and social breakdown into compositions that fuse Athenian red- and black-figure vase painting with the flatness of street art. The circular, gold-ground format here directly invokes classical and devotional precedents while addressing distinctly contemporary conflict.
FAQ
What does Endless Sleep (Black) depict?
A circular ring of black and white figures holding hands and turning around a central pair locked in a violent struggle, set against a gold disc on a black ground. The endless loop of bodies reads as both a dance and a death cycle, evoking the danse macabre and Peterson's themes of conflict, domination and mortality.
How large is the edition?
The edition is 28.
Is the print signed and numbered?
Yes. As with Peterson's standard signature releases, it is hand-signed and numbered by the artist.
What medium is it?
It is a hand-pulled screen print, dated 2016, in Peterson's characteristic flat black, white and metallic gold palette.
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. Drawing on Greek vase painting, Hogarth and street art, he is also 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.