Gauntlet Gallery
What is Cleon Peterson’s piece called “Eclipse (Gold)”
Summary
Eclipse (Gold) is a circular, mandala-like screen print in which interlocking black and white nude figures grapple, strike and writhe around a central pinwheel of bodies, set against a flat metallic-gold ground. The radial composition translates Peterson's signature scenes of brutality into a kaleidoscopic, almost decorative wheel of perpetual conflict.
Why It Matters
The print distills Cleon Peterson's central subject — the cyclical, mechanical nature of human violence and the abuse of power — into a single symmetrical icon. By arranging black-and-white combatants into an endlessly rotating ring, Peterson removes any beginning or end to the fighting, suggesting struggle as a self-perpetuating system rather than a discrete event. The radial format also nods directly to the classical Greek vase painting and ornament that underpins his work, where black and red-figure bodies circle the curve of a vessel. Rendered in his stark flat palette on gold, Eclipse is one of his more formally resolved, design-forward editions, and it reads equally as protest imagery and as a hard-edged graphic object.
Collector Perspective
A 2017 screen print in a small edition of 28, typically signed and numbered by the artist. The compact edition size makes it noticeably scarcer than Peterson's larger open-palette runs, and the gold variant is the more desirable of the colorway pair, which supports demand among collectors who track his radial/mandala compositions. As a tight, design-forward edition it occupies a solid mid-tier position in his print market: liquid enough to trade when it surfaces, but uncommon enough on the secondary market that clean, well-documented examples tend to hold value. Condition matters — flat color fields and the metallic gold ground show handling, scuffing and indentations readily.
Historical Context
Eclipse (Gold) dates to 2017, a peak period in Peterson's career following the international profile of his End of Empire body of work and a run of high-profile Shepard Fairey collaborations. By this point his vocabulary of black, white, red and gold figures locked in combat had become instantly recognizable, and he was increasingly experimenting with symmetrical, ornamental arrangements that pull his street-derived imagery toward the formal language of antiquity. The work sits within his ongoing project of using the visual grammar of Greek vase painting and classical ornament to indict contemporary power, mob behavior and political violence.
FAQ
What does Eclipse (Gold) depict?
It shows interlocking nude black and white figures fighting and writhing in a circular, pinwheel-like arrangement around a central knot of bodies, set on a flat metallic-gold background. The radial design turns Peterson's usual scenes of violence into a continuous, rotating wheel of conflict.
What is the edition size?
The edition is limited to 28 impressions, making it one of Peterson's smaller, scarcer print runs.
Is it signed and numbered?
Editions of this kind are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist; buyers should confirm the signature and numbering on the specific impression and request photos of the lower margin.
What medium and series is this?
It is a screen print made in 2017. It belongs to Peterson's radial, mandala-style compositions that adapt his violence-and-power imagery into symmetrical, ornament-like designs, and is the gold colorway of the Eclipse pair.
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 and gold palette. He draws on 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.