Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Balance Of Power Sculpture”
Summary
A three-dimensional realization of Cleon Peterson's signature theme, "Balance Of Power" renders two glossy off-white figures locked in a hunched, grappling struggle atop a cream box base whose front face carries a flat white silhouette of entangled bodies. It translates Peterson's flat black-and-white scenes of dominance and combat into a freestanding object, where the two figures lean into one another in an unresolved, mutual standoff.
Why It Matters
Peterson is best known as a painter and printmaker of stark two-dimensional violence, so a fully sculptural edition is a comparatively rare format in his output and an important bridge between his pictorial language and physical objects. The title and composition crystallize the core idea running through his entire body of work: power as a tense, reciprocal struggle rather than a settled hierarchy. Stripped of his usual black/red/gold palette and reduced to monochrome white, the piece reads almost as a classical statuette, reinforcing the link he repeatedly draws between contemporary brutality and Greek antiquity.
Collector Perspective
This is a small-edition sculpture of only 16, which puts it firmly in the scarce, object-collector tier rather than the high-volume print market Peterson is usually traded in. Three-dimensional editions from Peterson appear on the secondary market far less often than his screen prints, so liquidity is thinner and pricing is comp-dependent, but desirability among committed collectors is high precisely because sculptural work is uncommon for him. Buyers should confirm the medium, dimensions, signing/numbering and the presence of the original box, as condition and completeness materially affect value on objects like this. Treat it as a hold-for-rarity piece rather than a quick flip.
Historical Context
Produced in 2016, during the period when Peterson's profile was rising sharply through gallery shows and high-profile collaborations with Shepard Fairey. The mid-2010s saw him pushing his flat graphic vocabulary of clashing figures into new formats, including sculpture and objects, while continuing the antiquity-inflected "End of Empire" themes that dominate his work. "Balance Of Power" sits within this expansion, taking a motif he had repeatedly drawn and painted and casting it as a limited three-dimensional edition.
FAQ
What does this piece depict?
Two stylized, glossy off-white figures hunched and grappling with one another atop a cream box base. The base's front face carries a flat white silhouette of similarly entangled, struggling bodies, echoing the sculpture above it. The subject is a mutual power struggle with no clear victor.
Is this a print or a sculpture?
It is a sculpture, a freestanding three-dimensional object presented on its own box base, not a work on paper. The exact material is not specified in the available information.
How large is the edition?
The edition is limited to 16 examples, making it scarce and considerably smaller than Peterson's typical screen-print runs.
Is it signed and numbered?
Edition details such as signing and numbering are not confirmed in the information provided. Buyers should verify signature, numbering and any certificate of authenticity directly before purchase.
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, drawing 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.